The Tale Of Elizabeth Cullen
by MissMei92
Summary: Who am I?I honestly don't know.Everything about me is a secret.All I know is that,I'm special.Special in a very,frighteningly strange way.I never realized that my family was a little different too.Who am I?I'm Elizabeth Cullen.This is my tale.
1. Prologue: Alaska

_A/N:This is my very first fanfic, so please don't be so mean if you review,okay?I'm not very good at originality so sue me if my story sounds familiar to you.But I most certainly don't steal plots and call them my own.In fact,I refuse to do anything if I don't get an original idea.Okay,that's all.Sorry if I seem rude,but yeah.Review if you'd like to._

**DISCLAIMER:**I'm not sure if this is really needed...I mean who's dumb enough not to know that Twilight and New Moon belong to Stephenie Meyer and no one else?

**THE TALE OF ELIZABETH CULLEN**

_Two years after the events of New Moon._

_Bella and Edward are on their way to Alaska, to visit Tanya and her coven. Last month, Bella finally accepted Edward's proposal. After their wedding, Edward will bite her. _

_They are going to invite Tanya personally to come to the wedding. And also because Bella is keen on seeing the vampires whom Edward ran to, the day she first met him._

"Will they like me?" Bella wondered to herself. She didn't ask Edward this because the answer was very clear anyway. She turned her gaze towards Edward's angelic face. He was watching her too, his eyes full of love. Pure, joyous love. Bella giggled silently. It was hard to believe that in a few weeks, they would be married.

Edward heard her giggle. "What's so funny?" He asked her, a quizzical look forming on his perfect face. " Nothing…I'm just very happy. That's all." He laughed his musical laugh and squeezed her left hand.

Outside the dark,tinted windows of Carlisle's Mercedes, the world passed by in a blurry flash of light, mixed with the grayish image of the cloudy sky. Bella was so accustomed to Edward's madman pace of driving, that she barely noticed it. Soon, they were nearly at Tanya's home.

Edward slowed his driving to a more acceptable pace, but it was still quite fast. He then stopped in front of a white, 3-storey house, with an old feel and look to it. He was out of the car and opening Bella's door before she could even unbuckle her seatbelt. Bella smiled as Edward, ever the gentleman, helped her out of the car.

"I'm not _that _fragile, Edward." she told him, half-jokingly, "You don't have to do this all the time ,you know." Edward shrugged and, as if he purposely wanted to ignore everything she had just said, scooped her up gently into his arms and begin to carry her towards the house.

"Edward, you _really_ don't need to, I can _walk._" she whispered into his ear, her breath warm on his neck. "Besides, won't it be a bit strange if Tanya opens the door and sees me in your arms?" she asked innocently, still whispering, an amused edge in her voice.

"I don't care, I like doing this, Bella." Her heart skipped a beat when he said her name. "Alright, but still I think I should have two feet on the ground when I meet them." She pressed.

"Hmm. Okay, there you go." He effortlessly placed Bella on the wooden porch area of the house and kissed her lightly on her left cheek. They walked forward to the main door, Edward's arm around her waist. He knocked on the door twice. There was no answer.

"Maybe they're not home." Bella suggested. "No. They're here. I can hear them." Edward muttered. He knocked again, louder and longer this time, with a bit of urgency, as well, Bella noted. "What's wrong, Edward?" she asked him, knowing the anxious look on his face.

"Shhh." He put a finger to her lips, his usual habit when he wanted her to stop speaking. A look of pure absolute concentration passed over his face, but was quickly erased by another look. A look of shock and fear. Bella's big, brown eyes grew wider than usual as she realized Edward had disappeared.

"Edward!" She called, anxiety and confusion starting to simmer inside her. '_What was going on here?_' she thought, her mind dizzied by the turn of events. Suddenly, as quickly as he had gone, he was back.

"Edward, what's going on? What happened?" she asked, not bothering to mask her confusion. Edward looked undecided as he motioned for her to follow him. She followed him, of course, to the back of the surprisingly, silent house.

There was an open door behind the house and Bella peeked inside, while walking closely behind Edward. The house looked like a tornado had hit it. Everything was in disarray. The dining chairs and tables were overturned and several dishes and teacups, which had probably been arranged for a little tea-time, were all smashed into pieces.

Bella frowned. Unless there had been human company over, the preparation for a tea-time, complete with cups and plates, seemed a little superfluous and pointless to her, especially if you were a vampire. Edward was headed in the direction of a small storage shed, hidden behind some green shrubbery.

"Keep close to me, Bella." His voice pierced the eerie silence which she hadn't noticed before. She obeyed. He made a low growling noise, so quiet she realized he was speaking, but at a speed so fast she couldn't decipher his words.

And then, they were in front of Edward and her. A slim, tall brunette with shoulder-length hair and eyes the same color as Edward's liquid gold. Beside her, another equally tall vampire stood, with the same eye and hair color as the first, except her hair had golden highlights in it. She was holding something in her arms. Something bundled inside a pink cotton blanket, which made a small cry as it was handed over to Edward.

Bella was shell-shocked. _It_ was a baby. Edward took the child and nodded silently to the pair. And then, a slight wind rustled the green shrubs nearby, and as abruptly as they had appeared, the two had once again disappeared. Edward turned towards Bella and whispered, "Let's go."

She seemed to be uncomprehending for a moment, before understanding dawned on her eyes and she followed him silently back to the waiting Mercedes. He carefully handed her the little baby and said, "Take care of her."

She nodded seriously. The life of this baby was in danger. She knew that much. He opened the door for her and she slowly slid inside the car. He shut the door and was in the driver's seat momentarily. The key turned and Edward hit the accelerator. Hard. The car bolted and was speeding down the highway back to Forks, an instant later.

_Later. In Forks. At the Cullen's mansion. _

_Bella and Edward are inside his room, the baby girl still in her arms._

"I understand," Bella said finally. "So what should we do with her now?" she asked him, her eyes begging him to make the right decision, and not think about _her _safety for once.

To think of the baby girl she was holding. She looked down at the baby's sweet face. She was asleep, as she had been the whole ride back to Forks.

"We keep her," was all Edward could say, when he saw the motherly expression on Bella's face as she rocked the baby girl gently, to and fro. He couldn't say anything else. He was awed by this side of Bella. The side he had never seen before. He made a decision there and then, a vow to be more exact. He would protect this child. The same way he protected Bella. The precious sight of Bella rocking the baby was too beautiful and he could feel the love which emanated from Bella when she looked at the child, who was a victim of unfair circumstance and coincidence.

"What should we name her?" Bella asked him, keeping her gaze on the baby.

"I'm not sure…what would you like?" Edward shifted slowly and sat next to Bella on the sofa.

"Hmm…," Bella looked thoughtful for a moment. "How about your mother's name?" she replied, a smile curving her lips upwards. "My mother's name? You mean Elizabeth?" he said, thinking carefully for about a split-second before deciding.

"It's perfect," he told her.

"Elizabeth Cullen, welcome to Forks," Bella whispered to her new daughter quietly.


	2. Chapter 1: All My Questions Answered

_A/N:Thanks to those of you who reviewed the prologue.I really appreciate it.This chapter only took me a few hours to write because I was so excited by the reviews I got! This chapter might be a little boring because it focuses more on Elizabeth's thoughts and not her actions or conversations. She'll also probably be a little, okay...way smarter than your average 6-year old girl. But remember, she's special. In more ways than just one. The mystery is only beginning, after all. Enough of this author's note, on to the story! Review if you want. - _**MissMei92**

**THE TALE OF ELIZABETH CULLEN**

_7 years later._

_Elizabeth Cullen is 6 years old._

_She doesn't know who or what she really is._

_In her mind, she's just a little girl who lives with her mom and dad. And 6 other aunts and uncles. Although she may be more mature than other children her age, she has yet to find out how bizarrely different she is from everyone else, in more ways than one._

The outside world is zooming past me so fast. So fast that I don't see anything. But I'm not looking at it, anyway. I'm more focused on the amusing scene inside my uncle Carlisle's car. Aunt Alice just told Uncle Jasper that Uncle Emmett put itching powder on his shirt last Thursday, and that's why he was scratching so much. I had to stop myself from laughing before everyone else did because then I know my mom would become super-talkative about how I should behave.

But it was really hard not to, because uncle Jasper's face suddenly turned from being pale white to red to pulsing purple. He started talking really, really fast. And then, my uncle Emmett started laughing super-loud. My dad did too. Suddenly, everyone was talking so fast and laughing so hard, but I didn't hear anything, as usual. My mom says it's because I'm still little but sometimes I get frustrated not being able to listen in on what my family's talking about.

My aunt Alice must have noticed, because she stopped talking to ask me, "Elizabeth, what do you want to do when we get to New York?" Her golden eyes sparkled as she said it. My aunt Alice, and everyone else in my family, all had honey-gold eyes and fair skin. I often looked in the mirror and wondered why I didn't. My skin wasn't as fair as my mom or my dad's. I didn't have gold eyes. I had sky-blue ones. My hair was Asian-black and really wavy. I didn't look like my parents at all. My mom had such nice, straight brown hair while my dad had reddish-brown hair. Both of them had the special gold eyes. Which puzzled me sometimes, because don't kids normally resemble their parents? Even just a little bit? I wish I looked more like my parents.

I hadn't realized how pretty my parents were compared to other people, because up until last month, we'd lived in a French mansion, far away from 'civilization' as my aunt Esme says, which she normally says every time my uncles and my dad get into a fight. When I'd first seen anyone else outside of my family, I was disappointed, I guess. Other people are so…repulsive. I don't want to be mean but that's how I feel when I see them. They're all shapes and sizes, and some just aren't…well, pretty like my family is. But I know that I'm just like the other people. I'm ugly. Not pretty like my parents at all.

My aunt Alice looked at me expectantly, still waiting for her answer. I realized I'd wandered off on my own train of thought when I'd seen her eyes sparkle like that. I quickly mumbled, "I don't know," It was soft but I knew she'd hear it. My family was so perceptive to everything. "Oh, yeah. You've never been to the city before," She looked at me, her face suddenly lighting up as though someone flicked an 'ON' switch just then. "Of, course! I'll take you shopping for clothes. New York is practically the fashion capital," She looked thoughtful for a second and then said, "We can go tomorrow. I see a brand-new purple silk nightgown in your future." She laughed, and I saw my parents smiling knowingly at this. Uncle Jasper laughed too, his face having gone back to it's usual white-ness. I didn't know why but I felt like they'd all just shared some sort of inside joke. I sighed inwardly. There seemed to be a lot of limitations to being just a little kid.

_Later..._

New York was very…foreign. To me, I guess. To my family, it seemed like they'd seen exactly the same thing so many times before. Or rather, they'd been here before. More than once, I surmised. It was weird for me to suddenly see so many people, after all, considering where I'd lived for the past few years of my short life. I wasn't sure about why we'd moved here. My mom said it was because I was going to have to start school soon.

School. I'd only read about it in my storybooks but I knew I'd be seeing a lot of other children my age, soon enough. Which was scary in a strange way for me, due to the fact that I didn't realize how tongue-tied I can get when strangers speak to me. My uncle Carlisle told my mom that I'd be fine once I got used to being around large crowds and meeting new people. "It's just a side-effect of living in seclusion," he'd said. Wonder why we were living in seclusion in the first place, but I've always got too many wonderings to think about, and I never get any answers no matter how long I think it through. So I usually bear with the fact that you can't understand everything in this world, at least not while you're only 6 years old.

My parents said that we'd be living in a mansion here too. I didn't really know how that would be possible. Everything I'd seen so far was nothing but tall, ominous buildings. Really, I'd never seen so much metal and concrete in my life. I was so used to the forests, green meadows and rolling hills of the French countryside. But my parents were right. The dark, looming shadows of the city started to dissipate and we were soon driving into a place with large, uniquely-designed houses lined neatly in rows of two, all with green lawns and flowers growing in front of them. I figured that the term 'suburban' was appropriate to use for this place.

People here looked prettier than the ones in the airport and the ones who'd been on the airliner we'd sat in for 7 hours straight. The adults all seemed to be the perfect size and shape, wearing clothing I'd often seen my family wear. My aunt Rosalie called it 'designer labeled'. Their facial features also looked more uniformed and less random, i.e. most of them had the same sharp, pointed nose and sleek jawbone. One of the sunshine-blondes I saw smiled. Her teeth were a brilliant, glistening white. The children were all tall and slender, for their age it seemed, but still adorable. I felt like I'd stumbled into a world of perfection, even if it was a slightly different perfection from the one I was accustomed to. Perhaps this was why we were living here.

All the houses, I realized, looked just like mansions. The cars in the driveways were all expensive types too. I felt like smacking myself in the forehead! We were _going_ to fit in here _perfectly_. I hadn't understood the concept that perhaps my family would be feeling a little awkward at having to live among _other people_. They would obviously choose to live among people who were, in a way, perfect like them, so they wouldn't feel _that _different. I was so slow at seeing the big picture sometimes.

The drive seemed to last longer than I'd expected it to. I kept thinking my dad would stop the car and say "We're here!" But we zoomed past most of the busy parts of that suburbia and headed for a quieter part. I hoped we wouldn't be living _that_ far away from the city. I did feel somewhat excited at the prospect of attending school and meeting new people now, after the initial shock at the "differences" had worn off.

At last, the car stopped and everybody got out in less than a second. I was still the slowest. When I stepped out of the car, my eyes felt stinging from the change in the brightness of the surroundings. I'd been in the car for around 2 ½ hours and my eyes were still trying to adjust to the sudden change, since the car had tinted windows, making it extra dark. When my eyes finally stopped blurring, I could see how clearly nice my new home was going to be.

It would have been called breathtaking by someone who admires architecture but I found it to be simply: awesome. The house was surrounded by a high, white wall with a lawn as wide and as big as a baseball field lining the inside around the house. There were lots of rose, bougainvillea, and hibiscus flower shrubbery dotting the lawn in an almost-planned randomness. Some oak and maple trees seemed to have sprouted up on their own, and were situated mainly at the corners of the estate.

The wooden gate in front of us was half-open and aunt Rosalie was there, already hugging uncle Emmett. Aunt Rosalie had gone ahead of us 2 days earlier to help uncle Carlisle and aunt Esme unpack and furnish the house. But aunt Alice said she just wanted to be able to go shopping for another designer dress at Barney's. Apparently my mom agreed with her.

The house was a 3 storey-high one, with an attic. It was smaller in stature, if compared to our old house, but I thought it was similar enough in appearance. The garden was the best part and I squealed in delight when I saw the pink swing in the right-hand corner of the house, next to the barbecue porch. Plus, there was this huge swimming pool behind the house and a Japanese koi pond on the other side of the house. I wonder if that was aunt Esme's idea…

I was getting ahead of myself as, while my parents went upstairs, and aunt Alice and uncle Jasper went upstairs, and uncle Emmett and aunt Rosalie went upstairs, I ran to play on my swing. It was early evening and I was sure my dinner wouldn't be served 'till later so I thought stealing a few moments on the swing would be fine.I was swinging to and fro, letting the wind muss up hair while I shut my eyes closed to better enjoy the movement, when I heard my uncle Carlisle call me.

"Elizabeth?" He sounded amused at me. I opened my eyes. He was right in front of me. "Yes, uncle Carlisle? What is it?" I was still swinging but I'd slowed a bit. He smiled and walked over to help push my swing. I felt like I was flying when he pushed my swing. It had such a carefully-planned rhythm to it, that while it was a strong push, it was gentle at the same time. "Elizabeth, do you ever wonder about _things_?" He emphasized the word _things_ so I knew what he was referring to. Uncle Carlisle knew I was smarter than I seemed, despite my young age. I looked at him, then at the trees overhead, which were rustling silently in the breeze. I answered back unsure, "I guess sometimes…but not really." That was an understatement. I spent every free second pondering questions to which I really had no answers to offer.

"Well, then I guess…you're not ready." Uncle Carlisle's eyes glinted in a teasing way. I stiffened. "What do you mean 'not ready'?" I asked him, slightly confused. "I'll ask you again, do you sometimes wonder about _things_?" He asked me, his expression still warm. "Okay…I do. A lot. About everything." I said, a bit brokenly. Uncle Carlisle seemed pleased by this. "Then I guess I can tell you. Answer me truthfully.

Have you…" he paused, "…ever seen your parents or any of us _eat_?" I was dumbstruck at his question. It hit me like a thunderbolt of lightning. I had _never_ seen my parents eat. He noticed my expression and I knew he was wondering if he'd phrased the question wrongly, too blatantly. I stared back at him and answered, as calmly as I could, "No." I startled my uncle but he continued, "What about _sleeping_? I know you sleep the earliest but don't you wonder why you always seem to be the last one to wake, even that time, when you had a nightmare and you came downstairs at 5 in the morning. Everyone was wide awake when you came down," He awaited my answer.

I _did_ remember that time. I'd been so scared by the dream that it didn't bother me that everyone was watching T.V. downstairs. Not _sleeping_. I gulped a bit at this. "No, I've never seen anyone else sleep. I was too scared by my dream to realize everyone was wide awake, that time." I looked at my uncle's face, unable to conceal the frightened look on my face.

"But, uncle Carlisle, don't people need to sleep? To _eat_?" I was pale by now and I could feel the blood draining from my face. My uncle shook his head, resignedly. "There's something about _us_, when I say us I mean your parents, as well. We're not really…," He struggled with the word, "…_**people**_." He tried to gauge my reaction. I was speechless for more than the usual instant. The swinging had stopped. The swing was still. So were the trees. The water in the pool was rippling slowly across it's surface. The world stood still for exactly that moment.

My uncle was worried. "Elizabeth." He said my name in an authoritative manner. "I looked at him, helplessly. "Elizabeth, we are still _your_ family. No matter what. Nothing changes that. We still love you. You're Edward and Bella's daughter. Remember that. Always remember that. They love you more than anything. What I tell you now will not affect any of their love. It's incapable of doing so, because you are still Elizabeth Cullen. And you are still their daughter. Their only daughter." He gazed at me, before sinking down to my eye level, making direct eye contact. I looked into my uncle's gold eyes and I knew I could trust him. He felt the connection so he knew it was safe to continue, "You are human, Elizabeth. We are not. We are…_**vampires**_."


	3. Chapter 2: The Dream & The Truth

_A/N:Thanks once again for reviewing Chapter 1.You don't know how much that means to me.In this chapter,Elizabeth will experience something which will have an impact on her for the rest of her life.Just as a reminder to everyone, this fanfic will be continuing all through Elizabeth's life until she fulfills her true purpose.Exactly what that purpose really is,remains to be seen.So,the next chapter will be on her first day of school.In a private school in New York.Okay,enough of my note.Read the story!Review if you really want to. - _**MissMei92****  
**

**THE TALE OF ELIZABETH CULLEN**

Shocked was putting how I felt mildly. My jaw didn't drop. I **did**. The world was having an earthquake…and I was the only one noticing it. Next thing I knew, my head had hit the soft muddy lawn beneath my swing and I was just lying there, paralyzed by _that _word.**Vampires.** My mind was unable to respond at all to that word. But the last thought it sent to me before the darkness came was "I'm human. Mom and Dad _**aren't**_." And then…blackness was all I could see. _Blackness_, I whispered.

"No!!!!!" Someone was screaming. It was a horrifying scream…and then, everything was silent. That voice. It was not familiar enough to place, yet I thought it belonged to somebody…I knew. But yet it was alien too me too. I couldn't open my disobedient eyes, no matter how much I pleaded with them to. I _had_ to see who it was, strangely.

But when they finally did open, I only saw my _dad_. He was sitting in a chair beside a bed. The bed I was now lying in. His head was buried in his hands and the feeling of hopelessness, I could feel emanating from him, was so strong. So strong that it made me feel sad too. I didn't want to see my dad like this. Maybe he was sad because he thought I'd gotten hurt when I fell from the swing. I whispered softly, "Daddy…" so he'd know I was awake.

My dad looked up slowly, his eyes weren't gold, like they usually were. They were pitch black like the blackness I'd just woken from. No, this wasn't _my_ dad. A crazed look was in those eyes. I screamed but then, I was suddenly gasping for air. He was choking me, with a grip that was like iron wound around my neck. _No_! _Where was my dad_? _Where was he_? I felt tears in my eyes. I was going to _die_. Right here, right now. Alone.

The grip was released. I fell back, coughing violently, trying to gulp in air to my lungs. The evil who'd been trying to kill me was gone. Vanished into nothingness. The tears began to flow down freely. I wanted my mom. My uncle Carlisle. My aunt Esme. My aunt Alice. I wanted _them_, here with me. Panic set into me. I was all alone, abandoned here in this nightmare. I screamed for them. I was screaming and screaming until my voice broke and I fell back against the bed, my eyes swollen shut from sobbing.

The blackness came again, only now there was a light shining through. A vivid, clear light. I saw my mom's face. But she didn't look the same as she did now. She looked _human_. The vision of light disappeared, and I saw my uncle Carlisle staring back at me, as he kneeled beside me, anxiously. It was a dream. No, not a dream. It was my worst nightmare. I didn't want to descend back into that world of despair. I fought to keep my eyes open.

"Elizabeth! Elizabeth! Are you okay?" He was frantic, seeing me stay motionless although my eyes were open. I did the strangest thing possible at that time. I smiled. "I'm fine, uncle Carlisle. It's just a bump on the head." My brain had decided to stay incredibly calm, despite the fact, it was actually hyperventilating from knowing I'd _just_ fainted. That nightmare had been far too vivid to be something I could make up all on my own. I shuddered as I remembered the steel grip around my tiny neck, my hands instinctively going there to make sure it was free. My uncle was still worried.

"Elizabeth, are you absolutely sure? I don't have to take a look at you, do I?" He bent over and examined my eyes. I guessed that he was checking me for a concussion or something, but my thoughts were still on the _thing_ I'd just seen. I didn't understand it at all. It looked so unreal…but I knew that it _was_. "Elizabeth, follow the light with your eyes," Uncle Carlisle moved a tiny light from my left eye to my right. I followed it. "Elizabeth, I'd better get you inside," He picked me up, effortlessly, like I only weighed as much as…well, air.

He called for my mom as he came inside. She was here in an instant but her eyes widened from shock when she saw the condition I was in. She placed a white, cotton blanket on the recliner nearby and uncle Carlisle set me down on it steadily. It was then that I realized that my shirt was wet with mud from the ground and I'd soiled my uncle Carlisle's white shirt. He didn't look the least bit bothered by it. He was more concerned for me. I felt embarrassed at my foolish reaction of fainting. Then it all flooded back.

"Vampires." I said quietly to myself. My mom's eyes flew to me when I said that and they popped open even wider than they'd been before. "You told her already? Is that why she fell?" My mom's voice had risen, and she sounded displeased. Sure enough, the rest of my family was suddenly in the living room too. They all looked at me, their expressions unreadable. The atmosphere was tense but then, it calmed down. Almost as if somebody had willed it to.

My aunt Esme broke the silence. She came over to me, brightening her expression as she did. It was the mirror opposite of my bleak demeanor. She smiled and beckoned to me. "Elizabeth, come. Let's get you fixed up." She twisted her heel and walked out of the room quickly. I was not intent on staying to find out what would happen in here, especially since I knew I was the subject of the discussion. I obliged what my aunt requested and practically ran out of there, leaving a tiny trail of mud behind me. Oh, great. I would definitely have to clean that up later.

Aunt Esme was waiting at the foot of the staircase. I hadn't noticed the inside of the house until now. It was still messy and in disarray because the things were all still packed away inside the thick, cardboard boxes, with a few occasional exceptions, whence someone had opened a box and let the contents spill out. So, the house was a literal disaster, which would normally have appalled aunt Esme, but there must have been other things on her mind.

She dashed upstairs once I came in. It wasn't really a dash because she was still walking but just at an accelerated speed. I trailed behind her listlessly. I didn't know how I knew where my room was. It just came to me. The second door on the right. I was correct. My aunt stood there, expectantly, holding a fresh pair of jeans and a T-shirt for me. I changed as fast as I could but when I stepped out of the bathroom, my aunt had already gone downstairs.

I crept, albeit as silently as I could, towards the stairs and tried to listen in on the conversation below. They were talking louder than they usually did. _Was that a good or a bad sign? _I didn't know.

"You knew perfectly well we were going to have to tell her one day." My uncle Carlisle was the one speaking. "Yes, but she's only 6 years old! What were you thinking, Carlisle?" My mom sounded desperate. "We had no idea how she would take it! She could have done something worse than fainting!" She was going into hysterics, something my mother never did. Ever. "Bella, calm down. She didn't. That's what matters the most. She seemed fine, according to Carlisle." It was my dad speaking. My _dad_. The _image_ flooded my mind and I shook it away. I didn't want to listen to it. It wasn't true. It wasn't!

"Esme, how is she? Has she said anything else?" Aunt Alice asked. "She seems unperturbed, but it could be a secondary reaction. She may be so shocked that she's not thinking, and just following whatever comes to her mind." My aunt's voice was quivering. "She's changing upstairs. She should be down here any minute.Silence. My uncle Jasper's voice broke through, with a piercing edge.

"She's listening to us. I can feel her emotions. She's confused, but she is thinking clearly enough." He paused. "Elizabeth, it's all right. Come downstairs." He called. I suddenly felt intense relief flood through me instantly. It made me capable enough to walk down the stairs without having my knees buckle beneath me from anxiety.

Everyone turned when I stepped out of the dark shadows of the upstairs floor and back down into the main room, where everyone was now standing in. My mom's eyes looked like they would have had tears in them, except I didn't see any. She opened up her arms, a motion meant for me. I ran into them and started weeping softly.

They weren't tears of sadness or anger. They were tears of relief and happiness. I knew there were going to be looks of alarm on everyone's face at my action but I wasn't going to stop myself. Just being here, surrounded by my family, by my mom and with my dad, was so comforting. That _dream_ I'd had. It'd scared me more than anything I'd ever known. I didn't want to be alone and afraid. I wanted to be with my family. It didn't matter that they were _vampires_.

Whatever that word really meant. _Vampires are evil, but my family isn't._ _They love me and take care of me. How can they be vampires_? All I knew was that, despite everything, they were still my family. And my mom and dad still loved me, more than anything in this world. Just like what my uncle Carlisle had told me. I was still Elizabeth Cullen. My mother let me cry in her lap for as long as I wanted. I think she was going to cry to, but no tears came, while mine poured out incessantly.

When I was done with my weeping, I looked at my mother. She looked…serene. Like she'd felt relieved that I'd still come to her when she'd opened her arms for me. My father was the first to speak. "Elizabeth, are you hungry? If you're tired, you can go to sleep now if you want to." I looked at my dad. There was no way that monster in my dream was my father. My dad looked so hopeful and full of life. His eyes were still the special gold color I adored. I stopped holding onto my mom and hugged my dad instead.

I didn't want my dad to ever be sad like in that dream. My father probably didn't know how to interpret my response because my aunt Rosalie came over and whispered into my ear, "Sweetie, it's okay. You can sleep if you're tired." I kept hugging my dad. "I just want to know the truth." I whispered back. My answer shocked not only my family, but me too. I didn't know why I'd said that but it'd just slipped out. "We'd better explain everything to her. She has the right to know." My uncle Emmett had been silent until then.

I heard everyone sigh under their breath. "I agree, but she has to eat something first. She looks so weak." My aunt Esme said, the concern in her voice was evident. With that, my family relocated to the dining room, my uncle Emmett carrying me in. I realized that I was going to know the truth, very soon. But…now, I wasn't so sure whether I still wanted to hear it.


	4. Chapter 3: I Won't Mess Up,Hopefully

_A/N:Thanks to all my loyal fans once again, for supporting my story.As promised in Chp.2, Elizabeth will be starting her first day of school in this chapter.I had to split her day into two parts because I didn't realize I'd written so much until it was too late.So, here's the first part.As a hint as to what's going to happen in the next chapter, let's just say it involves a little more than just a doll-hater and a pair of angry twin perfectionists.Right,I'm sure there's enough of this note to go around, so let's get on with the story!Remember to review if you want! - _**MissMei92**

**THE TALE OF ELIZABETH CULLEN**

_One week later._

_It's time for Elizabeth to start 1__st__ grade at Wilde Heights Academy. The same school which all her neighbors are going to. _

_Elizabeth is nervous. She's hoping she won't mess up today and/or earn herself a permanent reputation that she'll regret._

"Elizabeth, if you don't stop fidgeting with your uniform soon, the other kids are going to think you're weird," Mom teasingly threatened me, after seeing me glance in the rear-view mirror of the car, nearly every two seconds, checking for things which weren't there. "I just don't want to get embarrassed on my first day. That's all." I replied, tucking some loose strands of my black locks behind my ears. "You look perfectly fine, Elizabeth. There's absolutely no reason why nobody wouldn't like you." My mom smiled and I felt inferior in appearance when she did.

Last week, when we'd first moved to Wilde Heights, New York, I'd finally found out the truth regarding my family. My mom, and my dad, and my aunts and uncles were all vampires. It was strange, at first. Scary too, I guess. But I figure it does explain why I've always felt like I was always limited in doing everything, when compared to them. I mean, my aunt Alice can see the future! (She was right about the purple nightgown too!).Uncle Jasper can send 'happy waves' to people or just about any other emotion too. No wonder I always feel calm whenever he's around.

My parents powers surprised me the most, I suppose. I didn't know my dad could read people's minds and thoughts! That was so cool. But he can't read my mom's thoughts…and mine too. He says that puzzles him the most, sometimes. I giggled at the story he'd told me about how he'd felt when he'd met my mom, and he realized that her thoughts were completely unreadable. He said it was plain frustrating, not knowing. Especially since he was so used to knowing exactly what someone was thinking.

With me, he said that he had gotten slightly more used to the fact that he couldn't hear what _everyone_ was thinking. "Maybe one day, everyone will have changed their mindset of thinking, and you won't be able to read anyone's thoughts ever again!" My uncle Emmett had snickered jokingly. Everybody laughed when he said that, even my dad, which was weird since my dad would have hit him normally. It was probably because my family was more worried about my reaction to all the things they had to tell me.

My mom stunned me the most with her power. I didn't know that my mom had been literally immune to every single vampire power, even when she was still human. So now, being a vampire, she could acquire other vampires' powers when she wanted to, but only for a short period of time. If she didn't rest from using those powers, she'd get really weak and her need for blood would get stronger. So, it was best that she only use it during emergencies.

Another special thing my mom could do, was that she could make others, both humans and vampires, immune to the very vampire powers she controlled. My mom said that it was probably due to her overwhelming want and need to protect her human family, when she was still human, from being hurt by the evil vampires, since the human traits you had as a human were amplified and intensified in strength when you became a vampire.

Evil vampires, my uncle Carlisle told me, were the ones who hunted humans and killed them for their blood. He said, "We're the only ones who don't feed on humans. We feed on animals instead, because we refuse to let the monster control us," I didn't really understand what he meant by monster but I let it slide. There were still so many other interesting facts to hear.

Such as the incredible speed vampires have (which explains why I was always the slowest!), their love of fast cars, their inability to sleep or cry (which is why I guess my mom couldn't cry while I was crying so much) and something about being glittering in the sun. I wasn't really sure what that meant either, but my parents say that's why they don't go out when it's sunny. My parents hadn't told me how and why I was human and they weren't, but I didn't dare press the subject since they seemed uneasy when I asked, so I brushed the question away.

"Elizabeth, we're nearly there," My mom told me, unwinding the tinted window screen and slowing down, so I could see the school compound. I suddenly felt sick to my stomach. There were so many other children here, milling around the monumental fountain, with at least 8 spouts, in the center of the main courtyard, which was flanked by a wide, spacious field, where some other kids, older ones, were playing football.

From this distance, I could already see the gigantic main building, which had probably been built using Greek architecture as a guide. There were several huge, white columns and pillars lining the front entrance. The front doors were made of shatter-proof glass and students were pushing their way through the doors, hurrying as the bell would ring any minute, I realized, glancing at the digital clock's blue numbers: 8.50 a.m. Oh, no.

"Mom, I think you should let me get down here. I'll run," I said absently, looking at all the other expensive cars lined up in front of us, waiting for their turns to drop off the charges they were carrying. It would take forever, I thought, with a queue this long. I did _not _want to be late, not today, and for some reason, I didn't want my mom walking me to the principal's office, in plain view of all the other students.

"Elizabeth, what are you talking about? Why would you need to..." I didn't hear the rest of what she'd said. I was out of the car, which had been virtually standing still, anyway, and was bounding down in quick leaps across the green field in front of me, my backpack shaking furiously as I ran, hoping I wasn't going to trip. I made it all the way to the front doors in a few minutes, my heart racing.

So much for wanting to look perfect on my first day. My hair was all wind-blown and I could feel some beads of sweat trickling down my forehead, even though the morning was still quite cold. I hadn't been aware of my footing so I'd stepped in a shallow puddle while I'd been running and now my shoes were wet. What a nice way to start my school life. I stood there for a few seconds, catching my breath, before I heard her.

"Elizabeth Renee Cullen! What were you thinking when you jumped out of the car like that?! And more importantly, what gave you the idea that you could outrun _me_?" My mom was beside me, the Volvo parked in the teacher's parking lot. "Mom?" I uttered blankly. "We're going to be late, let's not talk here," I said hushed, not wanting to attract anymore attention than I already had from running across the field.

"Well, then, next time don't go jumping out of cars! In the first place, how could being a bit late have made you so worried that you dared to run across that field and leave me behind in the car? And now look, your shoes are all wet." She reprimanded me, disapprovingly.I peered downwards. "Anyhow, I still have to bring you to see the principal.It's mandatory," She told me in an annoyed voice, pulling my hand as we walked into the sea of close-cropped haircuts and curled pigtails. "That's just what I was afraid of," I muttered under my breath. My mom's flustered look softened when she heard that, and she started laughing.

I didn't know how my mom did it. She seamlessly glided through the pool of giddy grade-schoolers around us and made it to the principal's office in less than a minute. One of the perks of being a vampire: You got to be more graceful and poised than any ballerina would ever be. The words laminated onto the glass door, now in front of us, read: MAIN OFFICE, Wilde Heights Ac. My mom pressed the red button next to it, and the door made a low clicking sound. She pushed and entered fluidly. There was a clerk seated at the glass reception desk. She looked a bit more prettier than the normal people did. She had hazelnut brown hair with thin streaks of blonde in it. It was cut in the style of a long bob and when she looked up her hair did a slight flip.

Surprises were the last thing I wanted on my first day of school. But when the clerk looked up, I saw the color of her eyes. Her eyes were gold, the eyes of a good vampire. She smiled and I knew that she had to be a vampire. There was no way any human could look that pretty when they smiled. "Ah, Mrs. Cullen. Principal Gregory was expecting you." She flashed her enchanting smile again, only it was for me now. "This has to be Elizabeth, am I right?"

She reached for the wooden bowl of sweets on her desk and took some, which she held out to me. I took them shyly and said, "Thanks." softly. "You're welcome," she motioned at the last door down the hall of gleaming glass doors, saying, "Principal Gregory will see you now," Her voice sounded like that of a news presenter, complete with the cheerful, preppy tone. My mom nodded and smiled too, before we walked down the hall, beneath the glaring fluorescent lights every office had.

My mom pressed the red button next to the principal's door, and just like she had done before, it made a clicking sound. The door literally spun open. "Principal Gregory?" My mom inquired. "Yes, Mrs. Cullen. Oh, you've brought Elizabeth with you. Come, take a seat." He pointed to the cushioned chairs in front of his desk, where he had been typing something. He switched the screen off. My mom glided in, dragging me, as well. I plopped onto the seat and stared.

I couldn't guess the principal's age, but I supposed he had to be 'old', since I didn't know people could get white hair like his until I saw...him, actually. He was wearing spectacles and was dressed in a black suit. I wrung my hands together, as I waited. They talked about all the usual gibberish involving school…timetables, extra-curricular activities, school events…etc. My eyes were starting to droop and I was getting impatient, wanting to go to class. Most kids hate school, but for me I was more excited than I should have been.Then Principal Gregory asked something which made my ears suddenly spring up.

"You seem so young, Mrs.Cullen. How old are you?" He seemed genuinely baffled as to how my mom, who looked young enough to be still attending _this_ school, could be married **with** a 6-year old daughter. Oh, shoot. How was my mom going to explain this? She wasn't just going to say, "Oh, it's because I'm a vampire, and vampires don't age, so I haven't aged since I was 19 years old." I looked at my mom, my eyes wide with an emotion I couldn't express. She had an almost- smug look on her face, which made me baffled me too, in turn.

"Principal Gregory, don't tell me that a 26 year old woman can't look her best now, can she? I merely exercise and eat healthy. You can do the same too and see for yourself, how fantastic the results really are," My mom used her secret weapon. She smiled the most bedazzling smile I'd ever seen. I didn't know my eyes could have gone any bigger than they had previously been, but they did. Principal Gregory looked worse than stunned. He looked like he'd just been given an unintentional heart attack, in fact, it looked like he'd momentarily stopped breathing.

"Well, Principal Gregory, I shouldn't want to take up anymore of your precious time. I'm sure you have many other important tasks to get done. I'll take Elizabeth to her class now, goodbye." My mom stood up, beckoning me. I scrambled up too and we strode out without a backward glance. Which was too bad, since I really wanted to see the expression on Principal Gregory's face. My mom did her super-fast vampire talk with the desk clerk again, both of their eyes lighting up animatedly at several intervals.

"Thank you so much for all your help, Susan, why don't you come over sometime, say next week? You can meet the rest of us," My mom was talking at human speed, once again. "I'd be delighted, Mrs. Cullen. Your daughter's class is room…" She clicked twice on the computer screen, "…1-6A. That's on the 2nd floor," She handed my mother a map of the school grounds and my timetable. It was then that I figured out why they were talking at normal speed once again. It was a ruse, just to keep the security camera, which was watching them from the top-right corner of the room, off their backs.

My mom thanked her, once again, and turned to leave. Once we were outside, she whispered to me, "Elizabeth, I know you know what Susan really is. I saw the look on your face when she made eye contact with you. So I need you to promise me that if there's ever _anything_…," My mom put special emphasis on the word 'anything', "…go to her for help. Okay? We can trust her." My mom's eyes got that warm, fuzzy look in them then.

"Alright. It's time for you to get to class," She led me up the marble staircase nearby, and we were soon facing another bright glass door, only I could see a lot of students, children my age, running around and chatting happily inside. I felt the butterflies beat against the corners of my insides. "Will you be fine, Elizabeth, if I leave you now?" My mom asked gently. I gazed back, determined. "Yeah, I'll be good. See you later, mom." I hugged my mom, and watched as she sped off down the corridor. I inhaled a deep breath, and pressed the red button, familiarized with the action by now. I heard the clicking sound, the door whooshing open, I stepped inside, slightly shaky,…and then, "Look, it's the new kid. Let's get her!!!" Uh-oh.


	5. Chapter 4: A Friend,A Crush And An Enemy

_A/N:Thanks for reading and supporting this story,everyone!Alright, I'm pretty sure you all want to know what's going to happen to Elizabeth next?So,here it is Chapter 4.Happy reading and remember to review if you want! - _**MissMei92**

**THE TALE OF ELIZABETH CULLEN**

I waited for it to come. The humiliation. The embarrassment. The laughter at the expense of the new girl. But there wasn't any. I had shut my eyes, as a reflex, freezing instantly where I had been standing. "Um…new girl, are you okay?" Somebody tapped my shoulder lightly. I opened my eyes and found myself being stared at by the entire class. I felt like turning around and running out of the classroom, but instead I tilted my head downwards to hide the red in my face, a product of my embarrassment.

The person who had spoken before, who I was pretty sure was the one who'd caused me to freak in the first place, was the boy standing the closest to me. His hair was blonde and crazily messy, and he looked like the kind of guy who'd get on both his teachers' and his classmates nerves. There was a smug look plastered all over his face, obviously happy at having been able to humiliate me, and he was grinning like an idiot did at that fact. I would have smacked him or something but somehow I didn't. I suddenly couldn't even glare at him, because that would mean making eye contact. I chose to look up in the direction of the teacher, whose annoyed expression was directed at _him_ instead.

"Mr. Gregory…," Her voice sounded sharp and held a lot of authority in it, "…just because your father is the principal of this school, doesn't give you the right to bully new students, especially girls. Honestly, your antics are completely uncalled for! Now, apologize to Miss Cullen, immediately," She narrowed her gaze at him and gestured at me. I turned back to him, hesitantly. His face was still smug and smiling, but he did as he was told. "Sorry, _Miss Cullen_." He then ran back to his friends, a group of other boys standing at the far side of the classroom.

My brain suddenly processed all that the teacher had just said. _Mr.Gregory…father…principal…_his dad was the principal? The man I had just seen who looked so old, so old he had a head of completely whitened hair? That confused me a bit, since I didn't think that people _that_ old could still have such young kids. Which kind of reminded me that my dad was over a hundred. I laughed inwardly at the irony.

The teacher, who had a name tag on her, which said: "Miss Robinson", had turned her attention back to me. "I'm so sorry for that display just now, Miss Cullen. That boy is just so stubborn, sometimes," She smiled a big, warm smile at me. "Anyway, why don't you sit with Miss Jeffrey, over there?"She pointed at a solitary figure in the left-hand corner at the back of the classroom.

The girl wore pink-rosy lenses and her thick, caramel-strawberry hair was braided into a long braid, which she threw over her left shoulder. She looked oblivious to everything which had just taken place in the classroom, unlike the other students who were still staring at me with wide, curious eyes. I nodded to Miss Robinson and walked down the straight opening between the rows of glass desks. Oh, my gosh. Everything in this school was made from glass!

I made it, without falling over my unsteady feet, to the empty desk beside Miss Jeffrey. I smiled a friendly smile at her, but her eyes didn't meet mine. She stared straight ahead, smiling as if to herself, but as though, she acknowledged my presence in that way. I sat down and opened my backpack, taking out my pencil-box and a piece of scrap paper. Miss Robinson was still trying to get the class to settle down, but there wasn't any chance of that happening anytime soon. So, I started doodling, one of my favorite things to do when I was bored. I drew a girl, and then another girl, and then another one. I labeled them on top with their names and ages.

"Do you like Barbie dolls?" The girl beside me suddenly uttered, her voice bored and expecting, as if the answer was clear. My eyes flew to her from the paper I'd previously been so engrossed in. She looked like she was mocking me, but her eyes seemed a tad bit sad too. I shook my head. "I've never had a Barbie. But I don't really like dolls, anyway. Why?" She was surprised. "You don't like Barbies? And yet, you're drawing girl after girl on that paper." She was almost incredulous at my action.

"I like drawing but I don't like playing with dolls. They creep me out sometimes, with all their smiling." I shuddered slightly. She looked happy now, a small smile creeping along her lips. "Good, I _hate_ Barbies. I cannot stand any one of the girls here.They're always chatting non-stop about how great Barbie is. It drives me nuts!" She blurted out, bitterness saturating her smooth, mature voice. I gawked at her. Why would she hate Barbie so much?

"Umm…why don't you like Barbie dolls?" I asked. She glared momentarily, before her expression softened slightly. "I just despise them. It's none of your business, really." Her tone was guarded and cautious. "Oh," That was really all I could say. I then realized I hadn't introduced myself. Something which would earn me a berating from both my mom and my aunt Esme. "I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself to you. I'm Elizabeth Cullen," I said, hoping to avert her attention from the previous subject. It worked. Her face brightened up, and she looked sunnier than before. "I'm Seraphina Jeffrey. Happy to make your acquaintance," Her style of talking sounded so mature and polite. She held out her hand to me and I shook it.

"So, where are you from? What made you move to the Big Apple?" I looked at her, bewildered. She processed my reaction instantly and giggled. "You don't know what I mean when I say 'Big Apple', do you?" I shook my head slowly. She laughed again. "It means New York," She explained cheerfully, amused by me. "Oh, I see," I couldn't quite understand what was so hilarious. "So…?" She pressed.

"Well, I've actually lived in the French countryside my whole life, making the city something completely new to me. So when I came here, I was kind of awestruck to see so many people," This was no lie. She seemed interested in this little tit-bit of information. "Really…so you've never met boys and girls your own age, I suppose?" She guessed, confidently. How did she know? "How did you…" She interrupted me abruptly.

"I saw the way your eyes hit the floor when you saw Kyle," She said, smiling devilishly. I blushed a very, very deep red. "I…" I trailed off. "It's understandable, I guess. He is cute, but after what he did to you, I'm surprised you still think that way about him," She stated, matter-of-factly. I didn't get a chance to respond. "Children, take out your English textbooks and flip to page 27," Miss Robinson chirped. The whole class was quiet now.

I listened to her lesson but it was about the proper use of grammar, particularly adjectives. Something which had already been ingrained in me, due to my extensive reading habit. I tried to start a conversation with Seraphina, several times throughout the lesson but she pretended to not hear me. I sighed each time and tried to focus but couldn't. When the lesson ended, and Miss Robinson walked out, to make way for the next teacher, I tried again. This time she answered, albeit apologetically.

"Sorry about just now, but I don't talk during lessons. It's just something I do," She seemed genuinely sympathetic. "Oh, but I don't think that way about him at all," I said, but it came out half-heartedly, which was surprising for me. She was dubious about my sincerity. "Whatever you say…" She still had that devilish smile on.

I was about to protest but then the next teacher, Mr. Henderson came in. He started droning on about multiplication tables, which I'd memorized already, but somehow made the kids in class mesmerized instead. I decided to go back to my doodling while Seraphina kept up her concentration, although I knew she had already learned everything. The day pretty much stayed the same, until lunch period came. When I got up to leave class, along with everybody else, I saw that Seraphina was still seated. "Aren't you coming?" I gazed around the classroom. It was empty already.

"No, I don't eat lunch." was her only reply. I wasn't taking no for an answer. "But you have to eat lunch! Otherwise you'll be hungry later, won't you?" I asked her, my expression like that of a worried mother. She looked at me like I was being absurd. "Why do you care so much? Just go. I _don't_ eat lunch," She turned cold and gazed away, crossing her arms. I shrugged, giving up and left. But I still couldn't understand why she wasn't going to eat lunch.

I was walking along the corridor when I realized I had no idea where the cafeteria was! I sighed exasperated with myself, and turned around, heading back to class to get my map of the school. When I got there, Seraphina was gone. _She must have decided to eat lunch, after all._, I mused. I picked up the map and followed the path lined in arrows on it, to the cafeteria. I bought my lunch: a plate of chicken lasagna and a cup of lime juice.

I surveyed the cafeteria warily. All 2 floors of it. I didn't see Seraphina at all. Where did she go if she wasn't here? I looked around again, hoping to see someone from my class that I could sit with. I saw a few but they were so engrossed in themselves that I didn't want to intrude. Besides that, the tables were already packed full with other 1st-graders. Then I saw Kyle. He was sitting with his gang in a table, near the centre of the cafeteria. There was an empty space.

If I could, I would have avoided him at all costs. But the odds were _so_ not in my favor. There wasn't any other spot left in the cafeteria where 1st-graders were sitting. I took a long, deep breath and strode, in what I hoped was a confident way, towards his table. I stopped when I reached there and totally ignored their snickers and jokes, as I slid as gracefully as I could into the seat.One of them pushed their tray to my spot to block me.

I pushed it back forcefully, feeling braver than before. They all looked taken aback by this. I pretended to ignore them, although I was secretly pleased at being able to defend myself. I was about to take a bite of my lasagna when Kyle joked, "Isn't that a little _fattening_?" to his friends. They started laughing uproariously. I glared at him, slightly fuming. This made them laugh even more. Until I took my spoonful of lasagna and dunked it all over Kyle's mussed blonde hair. I was so fed up with them, making me the butt of their jokes.

Kyle didn't react, at first, his expression blank as a page. I was about to get up and leave, not caring if I ate lunch anymore, when he chuckled. I looked at him, amazed at his composure. He started to laugh some more and I was completely lost. "You're funny," He finally said. "Huh?" I didn't bother to keep my feelings hidden. I did not get him. "Yeah, you are. No girl here would ever have the guts to do that. They're all too _proper_," He spat the word out. His friends all laughed, once again. To make his point proven, he even ran his hand in his hair, further coating it with the saucy lasagna. I was shocked, to say the least.

"I thought I could bully you, like any one of the other girls. But you're different. I like you," He seemed genuine. "Then, will you please stop cracking dumb jokes and let me eat? I'm hungry," I said, but I wasn't angry anymore. Strangely, I was _happy_. "Sure, right guys?" His friends all yelled in unison, "Right!" I stifled a giggle.

The rest of that lunch period passed by in a flurry and I was soon back in class, where Seraphina was waiting, reading her Science textbook. She was way more serious about studying than I'd thought. "Seraphina?" I smiled at her as she looked up, her facial expression a mixture of boredom and blankness. "Yes…" Her voice was listless. "What do we have next?" I asked, though I knew the answer. "Art," Her single response.

I gave a short nod and started doodling again on my paper, this time adding a boy to the paper. I felt someone looking over my shoulder and stopped drawing. I tilted my head slightly and saw Seraphina smiling at me, knowingly. I turned a bright red for the third time that day. "Don't worry, I won't tell," She promised. I gave a small sigh of relief at this. Then, Mrs. Lorenzo entered, lugging with her a box of art materials, from colored papers to PVA glue.

Art period wasn't exactly something I looked forward to, despite my drawing interest. I thought I could draw pretty well, actually, until I saw Seraphina's handiwork. She had drawn a beautiful woman, sitting all alone in a forest, looking out into the far distance. Her detailing was so defined. I looked back at mine and frowned. My cat looked like a hand. I felt like crumpling the paper up, which I did.

I got up, to throw it away, but I was so frustrated at my lack of skill that I didn't watch my footing, and I fell. Next thing I knew, I heard a pair of angry voices screaming at me at the top of their lungs. "You…you…" I heard one say, "…you klutz!!!!! You ruined it!!!" The other finished. I tried to find my balance and when I did, I realized what had happened. I'd banged against a glass desk nearby, and my knee was throbbing from the impact, but that was hardly something major right now.

Because I found two identical faces with long, burgundy hair staring hard and angrily at me. I winced. But not from any sort of pain, more from what I'd done to their project. It was covered in a strange mixture of sticky glue, water and a tub of indigo paint. It looked like it could have been the product of an artist experimenting with the abstract. Only they hadn't been experimenting. I realized I must have ruined something really precious to them because one of them looked ready to cry.

I started to apologize profusely, even trying to salvage what was left of the ruined work. But the one who wasn't on the verge of tears slapped my hand away, furiously. The whole class was staring again but I didn't care. I was scared that the teacher would be mad at me. But Mrs. Lorenzo had seen it was an accident and she quickly consoled one of the twins, the one who was about to cry, while the other glared in murderous rage at me. I backed away slowly to my seat after it was confirmed that there wasn't going to be a mental breakdown on the part of one of them.

I felt really guilty at what I'd done, but Seraphina reassured me. "The twins overreact to nearly everything. The one who was about to cry is Rachel. The one who can give looks which kill is Natasha. They're spoilt mad and their parents are wealthy art collectors. They own several art galleries in New York. You might have heard of them, the Warner family?" I shook my head, absently. I hoped I hadn't upset them too much. But I lost all hope of that when I saw Natasha turn around and shoot daggers in my direction. And that's how I gained a friend, a crush and an enemy or two on my first day of school.


	6. Chapter 5: The ChatRoom Encounter

_A/N:Thanks for reading this story and a very special thanks to Safety Pins for reviewing my previous chapters! Weirdness takes a whole new level in this chapter. And as a teaser to keep you reading, let me just say that: All will be clear in Chapter 6. It's written vaguely, on purpose. Okay, enough already! Read the story and review if you want to! - _**MissMei92****  
**

**THE TALE OF ELIZABETH CULLEN**

_A year later. Elizabeth has adjusted to her new existence, living with vampires. She keeps the secret, well enough._

_Seraphina and she are now the best of friends. But she can't stop thinking about how much she likes Kyle, who has also grown into another good friend of hers._

_She still can't get Natasha off her case too, considering the whole glue/paint incident.  
_

I'm lying on my soft, powdery pink bed, thinking about what I'm going to do later. Which is nothing. Since, my whole family has to go hunting today and it's just too dangerous for me to be around them when that happens. So, Susan, the good vampire receptionist is coming over to baby-sit me. I should probably make full use of my time, after all. Maybe read a_nother_ book or play on my swing or call Seraphina. But I don't really want to do any of these things. I'm not sure what I want, but I know it's something important. Yet, I don't know what it is!

I sighed and pulled myself, somewhat reluctantly, off the bouncy surface of my bed. I glance at the clock: 1.47p.m. It was going to be a long day. Susan should be over any second now, but for now I'm alone, since my parents left 10 minutes earlier. _Watch T.V. or play on the computer? Tough choice. Not._ I opted for the computer. I'd had enough of mindless, brain-cell killing cartoons for awhile. I pushed the purple button and the screen flickered to life, a dozen white lines of information flashing quickly across the black window. I was just going to listen to some music or play Neopets but I felt like logging in to my school's private chat-room.

Of course, rich kids have much better things to do than spend their Saturdays chatting online but there sometimes was an occasional bored visitor here. I checked and saw 4 names. First was mine, and then I saw Seraphina's there, which I was going to click on so I could start messaging her, but she suddenly logged off. I shrugged and looked at the next name there: iluvbarbie&ken.

Oh, I knew who that was. Seraphina hated her the most. Not because of anything else than the fact that she was the No.1 fan of Barbie. Her name was Denise Springston. And she was more preppy and bubbly than any cheerleader could have been. Which totally collided with Seraphina's brooding, studious nature. No wonder Seraphina had logged off.

I would have chatted with her, but only if I was desperately bored. Which I wasn't, thank goodness. Besides, she logged off in less than a second after Seraphina did. So I was alone with the last name: greenboy1234. Who was that? I'd never seen this name here before. I got curious and clicked, typing 'Hi' and 'Which class are you in?' Wilde Heights Academy divided each grade into different classes, according to how smart you were. Seraphina and I were lucky to be in the same class this year, again.

But I obviously wasn't lucky enough because Natasha and Rachel were in the same class as us, this year too. I'd practically given up trying to avoid their angry gazes, and had resigned myself to damage control. The computer speakers made a ringing-cum-beeping noise. The mystery person was responding.

greenboy1234: hey, same class as u.

He was? I didn't think I knew him...but then again I was always more interested in talking with Seraphina and Kyle. So much I barely noticed my other classmates. Still, his name didn't ring a bell with me. I had to question him further.

ElizabethC. : seriously? because I don't know you.

greenboy1234: figures.

ElizabethC.: excuse me?

greenboy1234: you wouldn't have noticed me, huh?

greenboy1234: you're all over Kyle.

My jaw dropped. This was uncomfortable.

ElizabethC.: what's that to you? he's my friend!

greenboy1234: hmm.right….

ElizabethC.: jerk.

I was mad now. I logged out without another word, and I heard the door unlocking downstairs. Susan was here. I shut my computer down and practically jumped down the whole flight of stairs. I was _not_ happy. "Hey, Elle! Have your parents left already?" Susan smiled at me and hung her raincoat up on the wooden rack nearby. I hadn't realized it'd been raining. How was my family going to hunt in this weather?

"Yeah, they left awhile ago," I replied, flustered from my previous chat experience. I combed my hair with my fingers, trying to erase the tangled mess, which was my thick hair. Susan then started talking about how the rain would be clearing up soon so my family would still be able to hunt. I nodded and said, "Oh…" and "Yeah," when appropriate but I couldn't stop obsessing over how annoying _he'd_ been. She didn't notice my mental absence and still chattered non-stop about the weather.

Susan had been a weather forecaster for the news in her human life. She'd been a really good one too. It wasn't just her impeccable interpersonal skills and her fluent way of speaking, but it was also because she just _knew_ how to predict weather changes and once, she even managed to predict a hurricane correctly. But, of course, no one listened to her until it was too late.

Which was why, being a vampire now, she could state the weather for the next 7 days so confidently, you'd think she controlled it. Which came in handy whenever we wanted to plan activities, since you know vampires can't walk in the sunlight without glittering or play baseball unless there's a thunderstorm. The sad thing about Susan was _why_ she was a vampire.

It was only a coincidence that she'd been in the wrong place at the wrong time. A thirst-crazed vampire had been nearby when she'd gone to a forest for some work-related weather observing. It'd bitten her but someone else stopped and destroyed the vampire before it could kill her.

She wasn't sure why she couldn't remember who it was who'd saved her but whoever it was had stayed with her throughout the 3 days of transformation. But when she woke up in a cottage in the middle of nowhere, and another vampire was waiting for her there, that vampire said that he wasn't the one who'd rescued her. She'd been dropped here, but he didn't know by who.

He was a good vampire too, feeding off animals, but he couldn't control himself around humans, as much as he tried, which was why he lived there all alone. He taught Susan how to feed on animals too, but while he was lonely out there, he didn't want Susan to be condemned to the same existence as him. He gave her a choice. She could stay with him or she could try to go back to living among humans.

Susan was sad to leave him too, and afraid that she couldn't control herself like him. But he assured her that he was an unusual case and that he'd been an incorrigible drug addict in his human life which was why he couldn't control himself, even now. She finally decided to try and left for a small town near New York, where she'd lived before this. She was successful in her attempt, but she didn't forget _him_ and she still visits him once in awhile. She hasn't been a vampire long, though, and in vampire years, she's only about as old as my mom. Which explains why she's less old-fashioned than my family. Like when she calls me 'Elle'.

Susan started taking flour and eggs out, placing them on the counter of the kitchen. She was going to bake. I knew she loved baking but it was superfluous to do it for herself since she couldn't eat it, anyway. But she didn't mind baking cakes for me. I lifted myself up onto the marble kitchen counter and watched her move around the kitchen, mixing and measuring the ingredients, while melting butter and brown sugar into a soggy, yellowy mess inside the frying pan. I loved the smell of baking. It was my favorite.

"What are you making?" I asked, playing with bits of the dough. "Gingerbread men," She started kneading the dough, really quickly. "You can help me decorate them later," She continued, now rolling the thick, smooth brown dough out. I decided to go call and invite Seraphina over, if she wasn't studying, so we could both eat gingerbread men together. I dialed, it rang and then, "Jeffrey residence! How may I help you?" Their private receptionist answered.

I was always surprised that they had a private receptionist answering their household calls but I'd gotten over the weirdness of talking to a stranger, long ago. "Seraphina Jeffrey, please." I politely requested. "Of course, wait one moment, please," Her smile bounced over the telephone wires and jumped up into my face. "Redirecting," Her voice disappeared, and I heard Seraphina's instead.

"Elizabeth, what is it?" She sounded strange, worried even. "Nothing, it's just that my family's out shopping and I'm being baby-sat by Susan again. So, you wanna come over? Susan's baking gingerbread men," I chirped, and tried lowering the amount of prep in my voice, to avoid Seraphina's wrath against preppiness. She seemed relieved, actually. "Yeah, sure. I'm dead bored here," She laughed but it wasn't a happy laugh. It was a nervous one.

She hung up promptly afterwards. I placed the phone back on the receiver. "Elle, what did Seraphina say?" I heard Susan call from the dining room, where she was now cooling her gingerbread men. Wow, vampires can cook fast. I skipped over there quickly and inhaled the smell of ginger-cinnamon which was wafting in the air. Susan smiled at my action. She retrieved the icing mixes she had prepared earlier and handed me a spoon.

I started applying red and pink icing to my gingerbread men while she carefully, like a surgeon was while conducting an operation, designed cute, smiling men with brown sugar buttons and green apple shirts. We were almost done when the doorbell rang, loud and shrill. I ran to answer and pressed the 'OPEN' button for the wooden gate. I then unbolted the front door and saw Seraphina, grinning sheepishly in front of me. She was slightly wet from the still-pouring rain but I saw her driver shake his head in annoyance at her.

It was obvious that she hadn't waited for the umbrella to follow. He drove off, after that. I smiled back at Seraphina and she stepped inside my house. I grabbed her hand and we bounded off for the dining room, where we were soon chomping down on gingerbread men, the sugary taste crumbling in our mouths. Susan didn't eat, of course, but she was pleased that we were enjoying her cooking.

While we were eating, Seraphina whispered to me something, in an anxious voice. "I need to speak with you, alone." She was serious in her tone. I nodded, not fully understanding, but grabbed a couple more gingerbread men and we went to sit in the living room. Susan respected our privacy and tuned out of her vampire hearing.

I leaned in to hear Seraphina. "Just now," She took a harsh breath, "when you called me…I thought you were mad at me," Her voice was unsteady. "Why would I be mad at you?" I asked her, bewildered at her statement. "Did someone named 'greenboy1234' message you just now?" Now I was shocked. "How did you know about that?" She couldn't keep my gaze and looked down, ashamed, I realized.

"He asked you about Kyle? Didn't he?" She looked ready to cry. "Yeah, he did…but he's suppose to be in our class. Do you know him?" I asked her gently. "He knew you liked him because…he tricked me into telling him!" She started to cry now, and I could sense Susan prick her ears up at our conversation. I tried to comfort her but I didn't really know how.

"Seraphina, it's okay. It's not your fault…I mean, he's in our class and like, the other kids all see us together, who wouldn't think it?" I tried to make it all sound logical but failed. "It is _my _fault! I shouldn't have told your secret but it's like he knew exactly which buttons to push which would make me mad! Mad enough to tell!" She nearly shrieked. I had to calm her down before Susan would come in to see who was hyperventilating.

She buried her head in my shoulder, still crying. "The worst part is…he's _not_ in our class." I froze. "What do you mean 'not in our class'?" I asked her, my voice was shaking now too. "Every student has a username which is permanent for use on the school's website." She looked up at me now, her eyes hard. "But...I just ran a check through the website for that username…and it _doesn't exist_." I became rigid with fear. "So…" I was shell-shocked. "So…I don't know what that _means_," Her voice was fearful too.

My head was spinning now and I could have collapsed if I wasn't already sitting down on the sofa. Someone who _wasn't_ in our school, logged on to the school website with a non-existent username, pestered Seraphina about my crush on Kyle, and then annoys me with that piece of information while lying about who he really is? It was nonsensical! And how had he known that both Seraphina and I would be online at the same time?


	7. Chapter 6: New Kid

_A/N:Thanks for your suggestion about conversations,Safety Pins! Alright,I know I'm not suppose to force you to review but I'm going to say this now:Please,please,please review!I'm really sorry but if I don't get more reviews soon,you're not going to find out who 'greenboy1234' really is.And let me be the one to tell you: Who he really is will shock you.Literally.And those reviews better come in soon because I'm going away to camp on Thursday for 4 days.Which means that you won't know who he is until next week,if that happens.I know I said you'd find out who he was in this chapter.I lied.Sorry.I don't mean to be evil but I just can't help wanting to see my review list grow...once again,sorry. - _**MissMei92**

**THE TALE OF ELIZABETH CULLEN**

That eerie experience stayed with me the whole of next week. Seraphina was still visually shaken and she hadn't come to school on Monday. I'd called her house and the receptionist said she was feeling nausea and was running a high fever. It made me furious with _him_. _How could he have been so mean to her_! I'd thought.

I also began to wonder exactly what he'd said to her that could have made her so angry, as Seraphina was not the type to easily lose her temper, more so tell a secret when she _was_ angry. My mom had begun to notice my pondering moods and she decided to begin the Spanish Inquisition.

"Elizabeth, why are you always so quiet nowadays, more than you usually are?" Which was true since I normally can't get a say in most things, so I just keep silent usually. But whenever I could, I'd always start the conversation myself. Lately, I hadn't been doing so.

"I don't know…I've got a lot of stuff to think about," I replied disinterested, my mind still lost in guessing work.

"Maybe I can answer some of your questions then," She smiled, and I knew _exactly_ what she was thinking. She obviously thought I was still confused about the whole vampire thing. I sighed, and said, "It's not _that_."

My mom was taken aback, to say the least. "Well, then what?" I knew she was wondering how an eight-year old could have anything else on her mind to think about so deeply. I didn't intend to tell her anything, though. "Nothing, mom. Just schoolwork. I think I'll go do some now..." I trailed off and left her, still sitting on the living room sofa where Seraphina had been crying that day.

Of course, I wasn't going to do any schoolwork at all. I went to call Kyle. I wanted to talk with him. What about? I wasn't sure. I just wanted to hear Kyle's joking voice. I didn't have to talk with a receptionist to speak with Kyle. Just his dad. I swallowed the nervous edge in my voice and tried to be composed in my speech.

"Hello, Principal Gregory," I bit my tongue, "This is Elizabeth Cullen. Is Kyle available?" I was so hoping he would just hand the phone to Kyle. He didn't. I was just not a lucky girl.

"Ah, Elizabeth, Kyle talks about you all the time." His voice sounded congenial. I would have heaved a sigh of relief, except then he'd hear that. "Unfortunately, Kyle's out shopping with his mother," My anticipation disappeared, and was replaced with disappointment. "Oh, I understand. I'll just call back later." I placed the phone down before he could respond.

I didn't know why but I felt like crying. I fell down onto my bed and buried my face, deep into the fluffiness of my cotton pillows. I must have fallen asleep crying because when I woke up, my eyes were swollen and I had a runny nose. I washed my face and tried to hide my puffy eyes beneath some foundation I'd swiped from my aunt Rosalie. I looked outside my windows and saw that it was already evening, the sky darkening with only a trace of light left, which would be gone in a few minutes or less.

Dinner would be ready soon. Of course, it was only for me. But my family still sat around the dining table just so I could talk with them. Sometimes I wished that I could just skip dinner without being worried and fussed about, especially in times like now. When you're the only one eating, it does make you somewhat the centre of attention. I checked my reflection before I went down. My eyes were still a bit puffy but not totally noticeable anymore. I could always explain that I'd slept too much in the afternoon.

I pulled my hair around my face to hide my depressed look and went downstairs. My dad and uncles were quarreling over who'd won the video game they'd just been playing. I picked up the cover of the game: Hidden&DangerousDeluxe. I laughed. I was the one who should be playing games like these. Not my over-a-hundred dad and uncles.

"It was me! There's no way you made it past the Zombie King!" I heard uncle Emmett shout.

"No, it was me! The Black Widow took you out 5 seconds before you got there!" Uncle Jasper yelled.

"You're both wrong! I won! I'm the only one who could beat the Evil Hamster!" My dad cut in.

Evil Hamster. That was hilarious! I couldn't keep myself from laughing and I broke out into a wide smile before I nearly doubled over from the insides-ripping-laughter. They stopped arguing and stared at me. I still didn't stop laughing.

Aunt Esme started laughing too, followed by aunt Alice and then, my mom. Aunt Rosalie giggled: "Gosh, you guys would never stop no matter what Esme would say, but Elizabeth starts laughing and you all shut up!" That made me laugh even more, my depressive mood lifted by now. "Whatever," My uncle Jasper muttered under his breath.

Eventually things calmed down and we all went to have dinner. Well, me only. Sometimes, I found it sad that we couldn't go out to eat dinner in a restaurant like other families, since the whole not-eating thing would look weird, being in a restaurant, after all. Dinner was my favorite. Fish fillet and sour cream. It sounds a bit strange but my aunt Esme was such a good cook that you'd love it. And for some reason, I'd always had a taste for sour food. Don't know why.

During dinner, my family kept up a string of conversations about what was on television tonight. That was the cover-up, of course. Underneath they were really talking about the werewolf scent they'd picked up in the area where'd they'd last gone hunting. Apparently it wasn't safe to go back there anymore. I didn't know how I heard them, since they were using vampire speed when they talked about that, but I did. It was unusual. It was though I'd grown more perceptive to hearing them when they talked now. Now that I was _older_. Maybe my mom had been right when she'd told me that. Which is uncannily creepy for me.

Dinner was over as soon as I was done eating. I already felt tired but I wasn't sleeping until I could talk with Kyle. I hugged everyone once and said 'Goodnight' before rushing madly upstairs. Behind me, I heard uncle Emmett say "That girl's hiding something." Oh, well. There was no way I'd tell them about _him_ anytime soon. It wasn't something they needed to know. It was _my_ problem.

I dialed Kyle's number quickly, praying he'd pick up. "Hello?" It was Kyle. My heart seemed to flutter at the sound of his voice. Lately, at school, I'd been really aloof and I hoped he hadn't thought I was avoiding him or something like that. "Kyle, it's Elizabeth." I picked my words carefully. "Are you busy? Can I talk with you, like right now?" I fingered the telephone cord, twisting and twirling it. "Yeah, sure. What's up?"

"Well, something weird happened last Saturday…in the school chat-room." I waited for him to reply.

"The school chat-room? What about it?" His jumbled language was so cute.

"There was this kid there with a username…which _doesn't exist _in the database." I shook a bit as I said that.

"Whoah, really? That's freaky impossible. No one can go in there without a registered username. My dad said so himself. Are you sure?" He was doubtful, of course.

"Yeah, I'm positive. Seraphina searched it herself." I felt sorry for Seraphina. This whole thing was _not_ her fault. Yet, I knew she was blaming herself for it.

"That's _weird_. I'll ask my dad. What's the username?" He asked me.

"Greenboy1234." I replied, uneasily.

"Greenboy1234. Yep, got it…" He stopped talking for a second.

"Hey, did you know there's going to be a new kid in our class tomorrow?" What he said stopped me short.

"Seriously?" I asked him, not believing at first.

"Yeah, some guy transferring in from England." He told me, not seeing the big deal.

"Oh," New kid? From England? This would be interesting.

"Hey, Elizabeth. I gotta go now. See ya tomorrow." He hung up before I could say bye. I let out a sigh. Kyle was the one being distant now. I guess I deserved it, considering my behavior throughout the past week.

I showered and got ready for bed. Tomorrow was definitely going to be an eventful day. I didn't know how, but I could just feel it. I was such a freak sometimes.

The next day, I was happy. Seraphina was herself again, serious and moody, which would have alarmed adults but it made me happy since that was the way she always was. I couldn't take sitting next to her when she was sad. Even Kyle was paying more attention to me now. He said his dad had figured it was some sort of computer glitch and that it was just a one-off abnormality.

I hadn't mentioned to him that the computer glitch had talked to us like it was a human being and had basically harassed Seraphina. It was too exasperating to think about so I just threw the whole experience into the memory trash bin of my mind. It's too bad that particular trash bin can't be emptied.

We were all still chatting and chirping excitedly like little chatter-birds when the new kid entered our class. I shot a curious glance at him and was pleasantly surprised, or should I say _shocked to death_. He looked _just_ like my family did. The eyes, the pale skin, the drop-dead beauty. Only thing was: _He was the same age as us._


	8. Chapter 7: The Most Perfect Moment Ever

_A/N:Thanks for reviewing and supporting!I'm sorry about my previous threat and here's the next chapter.Yes,it's short.But I'll have the next chapter up real quick so don't worry.I just thought the ending part was nice enough to make into a sort-of cliffhanger.Anyway,just remember that I want reviews!Oh,and if you haven't seen Pirates Of The Caribbean 3,I urge you to see it!It's so...nice.I love it!!! - _**MissMei92**

**THE TALE OF ELIZABETH CULLEN**

"Elizabeth?" The nagging voice tried to distract me. I wouldn't let it. "_Elizabeth_…?" The voice was persisting. I shrugged it away, almost angrily. I was frozen, electrified by the sight before me. _He_ walked to the teacher and whispered his name: Colin Brent. How I could hear from where I was, considering the fact that he was speaking so softly, didn't surprise me. I was far too shocked for anything else to even compare at that particular second.

"**Elizabeth Cullen!**" The voice was angry beyond belief now. I snapped out of my reverie and looked for the source of the voice. It was Seraphina, her face mad but slightly worried. Only then did I realize that the rest of the class was already seated and everyone had turned their heads in my direction. My face went hot, hotter than it'd ever been. And _he_ was staring, long and hard at me, and not in a very friendly manner, either. I sat straight down on my seat, my head bent downwards to avoid his gaze.

"Elizabeth, what was _that_ about?" She questioned, hushed under her breath.

I shook my still-bent head. "It's nothing."

The blood was starting to rush to my head, dizzying me. I looked up, finally. He had sat down, as well. But his gaze was still hard on me, his honey-colored eyes unreadable. I flinched away from it and tried to concentrate on what Miss Taylor was talking about. She was introducing him.

"Class, this is Colin Brent. He's from London. I hope you all will welcome him here with open arms." Count on Miss Taylor to over-dramatize everything. She was really old, after all. But not as old as Principal Gregory, I guess.

She then launched into a lecture concerning letter-writing. I knew Seraphina's study habits hadn't changed. She still kept her attention solely on the teacher, despite the fact that she had already learned everything beforehand. She should have been in the gifted program, concerning her abilities. I sighed and did a quick sweep of the classroom.

Natasha w_asn't_ glaring at me for once, today. That I was grateful for. But she seemed to be watching _Colin_ with slightly more interest than she should have been. I wasn't about to look back at him, so I kept my head looking straight forward. The hour was passing by slower than usual. I gave up trying to be interested and started my doodling. This helped. The time sped up faster and I decided to look up once again. He wasn't staring anymore.

_How could he have been? Nobody stares that long! Silly girl. _I chided to myself silently. But short bursts of thought began running through my head as my mind started to connect the dots. Colin had golden eyes. He had the pale skin and the dark circles beneath, rimming his eyes. He also was way more attractive for his age than he should have been, which would have been creepy. If I hadn't been mesmerized with how perfect he looked.

It was different, I realized. To see someone else outside my family, besides Susan, who looked absolutely breathtaking. Then I had a sudden flash of understanding beam into my mind. _He was the same age as me_. Now, I felt both pity and sorrow for him too. If he was a vampire, he'd never grow up. He'd be an eight-year old, _forever_.

I was suddenly overcome by a strange sense of longing. I wanted to know why he was a vampire. How could any vampire have been cruel enough to condemn a child to a vampirism existence? It was unfair. It was an injustice. I looked back towards him and saw that his eyes were upon me once again, causing me to do a too swift movement to avoid his stare.I fell off my chair.

The whole class heard my fall. And started laughing like the little gigglers they were. But I wasn't flushed this time. I pulled myself to my feet and apologized, so silently I wasn't sure she heard, to Miss Taylor. She slowly nodded at me but I think she knew why I'd fallen. She turned her head in the Colin's direction, expectantly. But he didn't answer. Not a word. He kept his eyes on the floor at all costs. Which somehow made me relax, even if it was only slightly.

"What's wrong with you, today?" Seraphina queried, for once letting her focus waver. I looked at her, surprise apparent on my face. She was frowning, and not a very happy one either. I didn't know what to say, that could appease her obviously unhappy look. I stared blankly, mumbling "Huh?" She shook her head, dissatisfied with me. The clock finally struck 12. It was time for lunch.

I collapsed on my desk, relief engulfing my tiny frame as I exhaled and inhaled softly, from not having been breathing properly the past few hours. Seraphina patted my back gently. She didn't understand but she wasn't going to pester me on what was making me a much, more worse klutz than usual. I wasn't eating that day. I was far too exhausted from trying to play hide-and-seek with him. But it looked like the cat was ready to pounce on the mouse.

"Elizabeth Cullen, I presume?" I heard a heavily accented English voice pronounce my name so fluently, as though he was made to say it. I wouldn't look up. I was far too stubborn. I kept my face pressed to the glass, quiet. I was just praying, wishing, hoping he'd leave!

I heard a low, bored sigh. "I'm sorry about just now, but I really need to talk to you." He was sincere. Or was he?

"Why?" My head jerked up. I shot an as-angry-as-I-could-muster look at him. He didn't get surprised or flinch or anything like that. He was blank.

I asked again, "_Why_ do _you_ want to talk to me?" I was trying to stare him down, but it's hard to do that when you feel like unnaturally laughing.

I bit my lip as he said, "Please, just for a few minutes…" He directed a meaningful look at Seraphina, "…in private." He seemed to stare at Seraphina really, really hard. I turned to see her.

She was frightened. I squeezed her hand under the table. "Everything's fine. Go." I mouthed to her, intending for her to leave and go to the cafeteria. But he had other plans.

"Let's go outside, shall we?" He raised his eyebrows at me. I glared once at him, looked at Seraphina's worried face, hoping I could calm her, and then followed him out. He led me down the staircase nearby, past 2 hallways and then into a secluded spot, just next to a stairway landing. A stairway which only the janitors used.

I was feeling more, and more scared as each moment passed. I wanted to protest. I wanted to ask why he didn't just get it over with outside the classroom. A sudden thought occurred to me. _If he was a vampire, he'd be strong enough to hurt me._ And I'd have no way of escaping. I slapped my hand, trying to keep the lurching fear in the pit of my stomach away.

He finally stopped, turning around to face me. He was serious and undecipherable in his expression. "Okay, so?" I kept my voice calm and under control.

"I'm not a _vampire_, if you were wondering." He said, nonchalantly.

I gaped at him. This wasn't what I was expecting. "Wh…What? How…?" I blinked at him. If he wasn't a vampire, why did he look like one? I had that question on the tip of my tongue, but it wasn't coming off.

He smirked. "Hmm…how do I start this…?" He pondered for awhile, pacing from left to right while I just looked on, petrified.

"Why don't you sit?" He beckoned me to sit on the nearby steps of the stairway which led to the upstairs floor. I did, somewhat robotically. He finally spoke again.

"Elizabeth," He scrutinized me _a_ _little more than he should have_, "Did you hear me when I first said my name to Miss Taylor just now? In a whisper? All the way from where you were standing, there at the back of the class?" His golden eyes bored into mine, nearly touching my soul and leaving me feeling incoherent.

"I…did." I looked down. I didn't understand the meaning of it all. None of it at all.

"I'm not a _vampire_…but I am _half_ of one. Or 1/3 of one, you could say," He scrunched up his stunning, pale face in thoughtfulness.

Wait. Did he just say he was _half_ of a _vampire_? That was _**not**_ possible. Vampires could not have children, much less with humans. And you were either a vampire or _not_. There was _no_ half. **No half-transformation**. I narrowed my eyes at him, my fear turning into suspicion and disbelief. "_There's **NO** possible way you are half of a vampire_!" I practically screamed at him, my voice shrill and angry from hearing this outrageous lie.

He suddenly became nervous with fear and ran over to me, trying desperately to shush me, to keep me quiet. I knew what he was afraid of. Discovery of his secret. And while I knew I had to keep the secret I was entrusted with, I suddenly felt over-compelled to scream. I had no idea what it was that overcame me.

I just kept on yelling questions and incredulities so loudly at him that I was incredibly sure that someone would hear us soon enough. I wasn't afraid. I was hysterical. And then it happened. He figured that 'that' would have been the best way to keep me quiet, but he didn't realize what he was about to do meant a lot more to girls than he thought it did.Most girls can't say much about their first kiss. But I could. His lips touched mine and then I stopped thinking, and felt like the world was perfect, for just one long, eternal moment.


	9. Chapter 8: Creation

_A/N:Hey!Told you I'd be fast in writing it.Don't worry I won't leave you hanging before I go to camp.I'll probably be able to squeeze in another chapter or two tomorrow.This scene is going to drag on for quite awhile because what happens here is incredibly pertinent to Elizabeth's tale.Thanks for the extra reviews!I really appreciate them.Okay,read the story!You know what I want. - _**MissMei92**

**THE TALE OF ELIZABETH CULLEN**

Perfection is something which isn't easily described. Which was exactly why there was no way I could ever truly describe how I felt when he kissed me. It was too beautiful a feeling. I didn't want to degrade how I felt then to anything lesser. I felt tingling creeping up all over me, and butterflies beating more furiously against my insides than they had been on my first day of school.

Colin kept the kiss firmly pressed against my lips for a _long_ time. I knew he just wanted me to shut up but I couldn't help feeling anything else less than euphoria washing over me, the longer that kiss lasted. When he was sure I wasn't going to shriek and scream anymore, he stopped.

My eyes followed his figure as he stalked off to a dark corner nearby. I was still recovering from his kiss. I didn't want to let the emotion disappear. Not willingly, anyway. He seemed to be kicking himself mentally. That was strange. Hadn't he done the kiss on purpose? Why would he be thinking that way? Wasn't kissing me the only way to shut me up?

My sky-blue eyes flew wide open as realization hit me. He'd done it by accident. And he'd done it so wonderfully as well. He spoke."I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that at all. Please forgive me," His voice was remorseful and regretful. Shame, mine wasn't.

"It's okay…I guess. I mean, how else were you going to shut me up?" I tried to lighten the deadness in the atmosphere. I wasn't sure if it'd worked. But he looked back at me.

"Are you sure? I didn't offend you, did I?" He watched his feet like they were the most interesting and fascinating thing in the entire world.

I simply nodded. "Yes, I'm sure." Then, I remembered what it was that I'd been screaming about.

"Half-a-vampire? You're lying. There's no way you can be half-a-vampire. The term doesn't even exist." I stated totally confident in myself. I _did_ live with _real_ vampires, after all.

"So, are you going to tell me the truth, anytime soon? Say, now?" I pressed onwards. I wanted to hear the truth.

"I am telling the truth," He replied, his voice adamant and strong-willed.

I shook my head, still not believing. "Okay. If you're half-a-vampire, I say you prove it." I had a smug look plastered on my face.

He looked at me, his expression slowly becoming more and more reluctant, but then he relented and smiled at me. "Fine, I will," He grinned.I leaned against the dry, faded white wall behind me, to keep from fainting from his gleaming smile.

He walked towards the window nearby. It was open and clear, bright sunlight was streaming inside. He strode into the sunlight, bathing himself in it. But he didn't gleam. He didn't shine like a diamond. I was completely, utterly dumbfounded. A vampire would have been shining like a glittering pearl in that amount of sunlight.

My jaw dropped a bit, my eyes dilating as he ran outside in a flash of a second and then back in another split-second. Vampire speed. My brain futilely worked to find a logical explanation. A conclusion which could satisfy my question. None came.

He came back to where I was still sitting, now he was the one all smug and confident. "Now, do you believe me?" He asked me, arching an eyebrow at my crazy-shocked face.

I didn't know what else I could have done. I agreed. "Yes, I believe you," I said, my voice tinged with frustration.

How was it possible? Had my parents lied to me? Why would they lie? No! My parents, my family. They'd _never _lie to me. But would they? I gripped the railing of the stair, tightening my hold as the number of unanswered questions that swirled all around in my head, threatening to pour out any second, increased.

I fought back to urge to yell everything back at him. If I did, he might just kiss me again. Which…then again, wasn't that bad of an idea. I had lost it. Literally. I opened my mouth to start yelling but he stopped me short.

"Please don't do that again." He looked scared that he might have to repeat his earlier action, which made me feel disappointed, deep down. Which is absurd since I completely understood that he'd only kissed me just now on instinct, so I'd shut up. But then, why did I want him to kiss me, again?

"I'll answer any question you give me, just don't start screaming again," He begged helplessly. I hadn't realized I was a screaming-prone type of girl.

I thought long and hard about exactly what question to ask him. "How?" One word. Brilliant. Not.He answered straight away, without any qualms at all.

"I'm a hybrid. A vampire hybrid. My DNA was mixed with both human and vampire traits to make me into something of a half this and half that, I suppose." He said it as though it was something completely normal. Not out of the ordinary at all.

I was quiet for a few moments, thinking. "That's only half an answer. You didn't tell me _how_ you became like that." I looked at him, hesitantly. He seemed normal, whatever that was.

"I don't have any parents. No mother to give birth to me. I was made purely in a laboratory through the test-tube method." He inhaled some of the dank, stale air around us.

I'm part of a multi-million dollar experiment to incorporate human and vampire DNA, to create some sort of super-perfect hybrid being. One who can have all the strengths and talents of a vampire…without the bothersome trait of having to suck human blood to live." He didn't seem so normal now. He was a bit less sure of himself and was facing the wall as he spoke. I figured he was afraid of my reaction.

"Is that why you don't glitter in the sun?" I asked slowly and surely.

He glanced at me, a trace of hope flickered into his caramel-gold eyes. "Yes, that way we don't stand out." He answered back.

I ran over his answer in my mind, once again. "You said 'we'. What do you mean 'we'?" I asked curiously.

Now, he started sighing and breathing more deeply. He was breathing. Like a normal person. Unlike a vampire at all, who didn't need to breathe in actual fact.

"I was afraid you'd ask me that, but I guess I'd have to tell you, anyway." He walked to the other side of the landing, making him nearer to me now.

He peered into my eyes and slowly said, "I'm not the only one they made. I'm just part of one of the hundreds of different batches they created. Each batch was modified slightly, to find just the exact amount of mix needed to make the perfect hybrid. But before they could find the perfect formula for creation, they had to create and destroy a lot of failed batches." I held my breath in, scared to exhale.

He took a deep breath and whispered into my ear as calmly as he could. "Elizabeth, _you are part of one of those failed batches_."


	10. Chapter 9: Her Time Now

_A/N:Thanks for the reviews!I'm so happy that I've got 16 reviews now!This chapter will be pretty confusing and a little fast-paced because of Elizabeth's unstable emotions so please bear with the fact that she's a bit too jumbled in her thinking and what's she's feeling.I'd tell you all to review but I think you're all going to hate me because I have another cliffhanger waiting for you at the end.And I might not update until next week so...I'm so sorry!!!But...err...if I do get a lot of reviews...I should be able to finish writing the next chapter which will explain everything.So,yeah...um...anyway,keep reading and thanks! - _**MissMei92**

**THE TALE OF ELIZABETH CULLEN**

He was joking. He _had_ to be joking. He was lying to me, again! When would he just stop lying! Stop playing all these cruel lies and sick jokes on me. The nice, fuzzy feelings I'd previously had, the ones from his kiss, were drowned in an ocean of fury and denial. I shoved him, really, really hard, and just ran.

Ran far away from him, trying desperately to crush the fact that what he was saying…might _actually be true._ No! No! No! I was not some failed science experiment! I was just an eight-year old girl who lived with her family and had friends at school. I had a life. A normal one. I breathed in the comfort and relief I received from this, but it was terribly short-lived.

The pounding of my aching heart in my chest from my non-stop running, coupled with the fact that I was anything but a track athlete eventually made me stop. A mess of blurry memories flew back and forth in my mind, _his_ words echoing over and over again. _You are part of one of those failed batches… You are part of one of those failed batches… You are part of one of those failed batches…_

I sunk to the floor in defeat and curled myself up into a tiny ball, my head resting on my knees, sticky wet tears flowing down all over my legs and dripping down onto the cold marble. I was shaking from all the confusion, sobbing like I'd done yesterday.

He couldn't do this to me! Why would he do this to me?! I just started crying and sobbing even more furiously. It wasn't fair. All I wanted was to just live like any other kid. Why did he have to come along and tell me that lie? My brain clicked in understanding when I thought that.

My eyes stopped their impulsive reaction and I looked up, comprehending something at last. It was a _lie_. I didn't have to believe another word out of him. Why should I believe anything he said! My heart was appeased by this and stopped thumping crazily as though I was about to have a heart attack.

My mind calmed. I stood up, wobbling slightly, realizing that lunch would be over by now. I didn't keep a watch with me so I was lost for the time. But I didn't want to go back to class. I wasn't going to face him. I didn't have to. I smoothed my wrinkled and dampened uniform, trying to flatten the creases all over my white polo tee and lavender skirt.

I took my lace hanky and wiped away the tear stains on my face and my legs. I tried to comb my hair through with my fingers to make it look more like the usual bouncy bob it was. I was far from presentable but I walked back the way I'd come, expertly gathering my bearings as I tried to locate the main office.

I was doing what my mom had told me to do. Going to Susan for help. A small feeling of loneliness washed over me as I explored empty hallway after empty hallway. I hadn't grasped the fact that the school was this monumental in size.

I finally found my way back to the hallway which led to the cafeteria. The cafeteria was still bustling with noise and laughter. Lunch period was not yet over. I took a detour to the girls' bathroom, hoping to fix up my general appearance. I glanced at my reflection in the mirror.

I didn't look as bad as I'd thought. My hair was still somewhat neat. My uniform wasn't so crumpled and I could always explain that I'd fallen down the stairs, given my klutz factor. My face wasn't puffy at all, unlike yesterday. I guessed it was because I hadn't really truly forced the crying to come out continuously. I'd just let the tears stream out for as long as they'd wanted to, so my eyes looked fairly the same. Not red and swollen at all. My nose wasn't runny either.

I could still go back to class and try to ignore him. Yes, that was what I'd do. There was no way I'd let him get the better of me. I wouldn't let myself be manipulated by that viciously obsolete lie. I primped myself a bit more before I heard the bell ring, signaling the end of lunch. I walked back to class, hoping I could slip into my seat without him being around yet.

I carefully peeked inside. He wasn't here. I let out the breath I'd been holding in and had it replaced by another gulp of fear. Seraphina wasn't sitting in her seat. _Well, how could she have been with you off somewhere alone with him? _A tiny voice in my mind said. I was about to swear, something I'd heard my uncles do under their breath countless times, but bit it back in.

_No need to panic_, I soothed myself. _She's probably at the cafeteria like everyone else._ _There's no way she'd report it or anything like that._ I shrieked from the jolt of pain. I'd bit my tongue far too hard by thinking about it. I sank into my seat and fell against the smooth glass of my table, once again. I heard the door swoosh. I was scared to look up.

_Don't let it be him._ I couldn't handle the first time, how could I handle it now without breaking down into a complete mental case? The person who'd entered sat down too, more silently than humanly possible. It was _him_. I groaned on the inside, and planted myself firmly in my position until the door swooshed once again.

"Elizabeth!" I heard a relieved voice call.

"Oh, Elizabeth! Are you alright?" Seraphina asked me anxiously.

She must have shot an angry glance at him because I heard _him _say, "Sorry."

This really ticked her off. "Sorry!? What did you do to her!?" I nearly jerked my head upwards upon hearing her reaction.

Seraphina was a cool and composed diplomat. She never got mad, except that time in the chatroom…My eyes flew wide open. I stood up and looked at him, his back turned from us, facing the front of the room, in plain, outright ignorance.

"Greenboy1234…?" I whispered into the silent class. He visibly froze. I was right.

"You're him!?" I was the one yelling now. Seraphina's rage-filled eyes were replaced with fear-saturated ones. She gripped my arm tightly and I realized she was about to faint.

"Seraphina!" I held her close and lowered her into her seat. She was breathing so fast, so tensely.

"Help me!" I shrieked at him. She was starting to convulse. He remained frozen solid in his seat.

"NO! Seraphina!" I shook her, desperately wanting her to wake. She was having a seizure.

"Colin! Call someone! _Please_!" The tears were starting to come once again. I laid her down on the floor, and ran for the door. I had to find a teacher! She could _die_! That very thought nearly sent me into a sheer state of mindless panic. I bumped into something stone hard. It was Colin. He was blocking the way out of the class. _He was blocking me from helping her_. He wanted her **_dead_**.

"What are you doing!?!" I screamed, horrified at his unfeeling movement. I had to get out. I beat against his granite chest with so much anger that it should have made any normal 8-year old double over in pain from the moment I started.

He gripped my wrists and stopped me. "DON'T." He said it in such a steel voice that I did stop.

"But…She'll…" I said hopelessly, not finishing the sentence. I was lost for anything to say at all which could possibly amend the situation.

He gazed into my eyes, pleading with me to stop and think. "She will be fine. It's her time now." He said it ominously, but still in a pleading voice. He wasn't worried at all.

Confused, I glanced back at her. She had stopped convulsing and shaking. She had opened her eyes and she seemed…_okay_. I ran back to her and squeezed her hand, throwing out a string of the words "Are you okay?" at her.

I was beyond happy that she'd woken up from her seizure. I was ecstatic with relief. Colin came over to her and swiftly pricked her arm with a sharp pencil he was holding. I was incredulous with the absurdity and illogicalness of his action.

"What the heck is wrong with _you_?!" I shrieked, slapping the pencil away with all my strength.

"She's just survived a seizure! And you're pricking her arm with a pencil!?" I yelled madly. Well, I guess I deserved what I got next, considering all my screaming and yelling. A slap.

"_Calm down_. I'm surprised that all your hyperventilating and hysterical screaming _hasn't_ attracted anyone yet!" His voice rose louder for a second at the end. He was fed up with my hysterics. And so was I.

"And why shouldn't it!?" I hissed angrily. He was so…inhuman!

"Because of this…" he held up Seraphina's arm, the one he'd just pricked, "…_look_."

I looked at her arm but nothing prepared me for what I saw. He had just pricked her arm alright, but it wasn't blood which was flowing out. It was _something_ else entirely. It was white and thick, almost like…_vampire venom_.


	11. Chapter 10: My Past Is A Mystery

_A/N:Hey!Thanks so much for raising the review bar to 20!I'm super-sorry for the long wait!But after I came back from camp, I lost my inspiration for awhile and it was a real-hard struggle writing this chapter since it has like uber-important information in it and I didn't have my usual inspiration with me.But I did it!I finished writing this chapter!LOL Anyway,the next chapter will be in the future,approximately 4 years from now,when Elizabeth is 12 years old.And the mystery is still pretty mysterious, despite this chapter,so keep reading!Remember to review,okay?Bye! - _**MissMei92****  
**

**THE TALE OF ELIZABETH CULLEN**

Her arm was bleeding venom. Vampire venom! I looked up into Colin's eyes in horror. He had a grim expression stuck all over his pale face. He reached out his hand to me, as if offering me to take it. I did. I was frightened by everything so much that taking his hand was sort of calming for me. And the next thing I knew, we weren't in the classroom anymore. We were in a sunny, bright bedroom, on a queen-sized bed.

Colin sprang from the room instantaneously and suddenly came back with a tall, slim woman behind him.He called her 'mom'. She had a grave look on as she saw Seraphina and I. She looked expectingly at Colin for a reasonable answer, who then whispered into her ear something about metamorphosis and awakening. I stared at him, shocked beyond belief yet again, due to all the craziness I'd been through today.

A massive headache or rather a migraine suddenly assaulted me and I winced unhappily, bringing my hand to my head. I never complained about pain. I always kept it in. Colin noticed and was by my side, trying to help but obviously he didn't know how to. Which was cute enough to make me smile on the inside.

"Are you okay?" He tried to massage my head as I lay down against the soft pillows on the bed. It was so strange, and a bit mean. That I was feeling so happy that he was taking care of me while my best friend lay opposite, obviously needing it way more than me.

I smiled back at his action."Thank you, Colin." I closed my eyes and the pain subsided.

He was relieved to hear this but then his sole focus shifted back to Seraphina. She wasn't bleeding venom anymore.

His mom had stopped the flow of liquid with a white towel but Seraphina looked quite dazed still. She was staring up at the ceiling, completely blank and expressionless. I flicked a worried glance at Colin's direction.

"Is she alright?" He asked his mom. She looked at him, nodding slightly, but not saying anything.

She retreated from the room and came back a minute later with an ice pack. She placed it on Seraphina's once-bleeding arm, counting softly for 5 seconds. When she took the ice-pack away, Seraphina started gasping and breathing at an accelerated pace, before shooting up quickly, her eyes wide. Her breathing eventually slowed and she merely said, "I'm complete."

I looked at her in amazement. Colin's mother led Seraphina from the room slowly, grabbing a cellphone from her jeans pocket, dialing quickly. The door closed and I was alone. _With Colin._ He was staring intently at me, but I wasn't self-conscious at all. I returned his gaze and we sat there quietly for a long, long time, not once breaking eye contact with each other.

He exhaled a deep breath. I broke the gaze and stood up. I walked to the window and stared out at nothing. He joined my side, and softly said,"Do you want to know now?"

I replied. "Yes, I do." I walked back towards the bed and collapsed onto it, closing my eyes. "Tell me everything. I won't interrupt again."

He sat down on the side of the bed lightly and I heard a sad sigh. I kept my eyes closed, enjoying the comfortable bed. Or was it just him I liked?

"As I told you before, I'm not a pure vampire or a true human. I'm a mixture. But I'm not just part human and part vampire. I'm also a part of something else. Something different." I opened my eyes.

"I have the DNA of an alien life-form in me. They called it a 'Vipera'. Because it resembled a viper snake." I sat up, my gaze straight at him.

"The alien was a lone creature. It came to our planet just to die. And it did. But it's DNA was still alive. It was buried deep in the underground core of the earth. But a way to it's lair was found when an old hot spring dried up and a deep hole in the ground was revealed." I let him continue.

"Some wary traveler went down it and discovered the dead alien. This traveler also happened to be a scientist, who specialized in astronomical research. Of course, he was amazed at the finding of an alien but he was also scared. He kept the secret until he couldn't hold it in any longer. He confided in another scientist. This scientist also happened to work for the S.D.C. And the..." I cut in, although I'd promised not to.

"What does S.D.C. stand for, exactly...?" I asked him innocently, hoping he wouldn't be mad. He wasn't.

"The Supernatural Destruction Committee." I gaped at his blunt answer.

"They were established long ago by an old enemy of the Volturi. Their name has changed many times through the years, but their purpose is still the same. To annihilate vampires and werewolves alike." He remained solidly frozen, waiting for my outburst. But I had none. He seemed surprised.

"The enemy of the Volturi who was the original founder of the S.D.C., hated the trio:Aro, Marcus and Caius. He had been changed by accident by them. He was an unfinished meal, in other words. He underwent the 3 days of change, but in his girlfriend's home, who had been the one to rescue him. Sadly when he woke up, he sucked her and her family dry." I stayed perfectly still on the bed. I had heard of the Volturi. My parents had told me about them.

"He was furiously mad with himself for doing what he'd done. For killing her and her family. He fled to the woods nearby and learned to survive on animals the way your uncle did." I shot a sharp look at him. What did he mean? What about my uncle?

"You don't know? Your uncle Carlisle...?" He trailed off when he saw my bewildered look. I had never heard about that before. What was he talking about?

"Never mind...later, he learned who the Volturi were and grew to hate and detest them with all of his will and might. Because of what he had become. A monster. He spent many, many years plotting revenge. A way to destroy them. But it was all merely thoughts and for several centuries, he spent nothing but agonizing over it." I lay back down on the bed, shutting my eyes.

"Sometime in the late 1400's, he decided to take out all of his vengeful rage on those of his kind. He started tracking and killing vampire after vampire but it was a slow process. When the right century rolled around, he turned it into an organization. A deadly, mafia-like one. But he was impatient. Because after all those centuries, he had still not fulfilled his goal. His goal of destroying the Volturi." I listened.

"The Volturi were too powerful. Because of their guard. He had no way of even getting anywhere close to them. He turned to science for help but their experiments failed miserably. Until the astronomer told the one of the S.D.C. scientists about the alien's existence." He stood up and paced slowly.

"They excavated the alien secretly and had it's DNA tested. The alien's DNA was powerful. It would be beneficial to their research. To their task of creating a genetically-enhanced marvel. One which would be stronger than the Volturi guard." He sat back down on the bed, and squeezed my hand.

"And so the H.V.V. project was started. They toiled for 10 years, before they even came close to making a proper balanced hybrid. The early ones were said to be badly disfigured and didn't survive at all. When they reached the 200th batch, only then did the hybrid start to become more _decent_." I shifted and sat next to him, my eyes still closed, in silence.

"There were so many characteristics to modify. They had to use countless amounts of venom harvests from _him. _Most failed batches after the 200th point were usually completely destroyed, with one hybrid exception. This exception would be placed in the care of an employee for observation. But most of them had short lifespans and never made it past their 6th birthday." I felt the need to interrupt once again.

"Then...Seraphina..." I whispered quietly, unsure. I was scared. Who wouldn't be?

"Seraphina will be alright. I pricked her arm to see if she'd finished the process, because the skin of a hybrid is incredibly sensitive when they've just completed the metamorphosis. It only grows harder like a real vampire's skin later." I turned my head to shoot a quizzical glance at him.

"Which batch is Seraphina from? If she's already 8, does that mean...?" I trailed off, not knowing how to phrase the question. But he got the gist of what I wanted.

"Her batch had no flaws, besides the fact that they aged normally and had slightly poorer hearing and eyesight than the perfect hybrid had been intended to have. She's the exception copy for her batch. She'll live a _normal _life, aside from her vampire powers and capabilities." There was a melancholy edge in his voice.

"My batch was nearly perfect. But still imperfect...because we aged at the same rate of any normal human baby. We'd take years to fully grow to the right age for fighting. And eventually we'd get old too. So we were deemed _useless_. And thrown aside for destruction." His voice was bitter and angry. I held onto his hand tighter.

"The batch created after mine was the _perfect_ one. _The perfect hybrid they'd wanted to create_. Seraphina's batch was the batch before mine." He fell back against the bouncy bed's surface.

"What about me then? Which batch am I?" He suddenly jerked upright again and took my wrist. He pulled out a small, circular flashlight and shined it's infrared glow on my wrist. There was a code on my wrist. He dropped the flashlight. It made an ear-splitting noise as it crashed to the floor.

"Colin?" I asked fearfully. The code he'd just seen had shocked him so much that it made me anxious. What was wrong with my code?

"Your...code..." He stopped speaking, rose in a flash and bolted for the door at vampire speed. He came back instantly, holding a beaten up and battered plastic file with him. He flipped it open and searched at a frantic pace for something. He found it. He took a deep breath.

"Elizabeth. Your code...it's not possible." His voice dropped, as did his head. I looked at him, puzzled over his statement.

"What about my code? What's wrong with it? Tell me Colin, please." I begged. I had to know.

"Your batch is stated to have been..._completely destroyed_. There is no exception copy. But here you are." He fumbled with the file and flipped more of the clear plastic pages. His words made no sense to me.

"If my batch isn't suppose to exist...why am I here?" I said in a tiny voice. A quivering voice.

"There is no information about your batch. All the records were destroyed too. All the reports, the tests..._everything_. They don't even say why. It's as though they don't want to acknowledge it at all. Which is abnormal, considering you seem perfectly normal...especially since you've survived this long. Even those who had short lifespans...some even as short as a few months...their batches had an exception copy. But your batch has none. You're not suppose to exist." He finished in a dead voice. I hugged myself tighter.

"So..._what does that mean_..._what am I_?" I asked, not expecting an answer.

"I don't know too." He sighed.

We just sat there for a long, long time. Until I thought of a question to ask him. "Do you think my parents know? But I mean...they're..." I took a deep breath, deliberating to see if I could trust Colin with my family's secret. Well, he had told me alot already...and he did say something about uncle Carlisle. So maybe it was okay to tell him."...vampires." I unfurled myself from my fetal position and looked at him.

"I know. I don't understand how they could have found you. There's no way they were employees at the S.D.C. either. Only the founder is a vampire. Which makes you a big mystery." He said it in such a depressive monotone.

Wait. Something clicked in my mind. "How do you know about my family? And what about the chatroom?" I narrowed my gaze at him. He had still alot more to explain.

He didn't seem unnerved by my demand for information. He smiled. "I know because of my powers. I have a super-sensitive sense of smell. I could smell the vampire scent all over you when I walked into that class this morning. Same goes for the chatroom. I hacked into the system using my powers and gave myself a fake name." He looked at me, a slight glint of amusement in his eyes. He laughed at my dissatisfied expression, whereby I also crossed my arms angrily at him. Which made him laugh even more. I glared at him.

"Okay...why were you at the chatroom talking nonsense to me? How and why you do that?" I felt I had to be _way_ more specific.

"I have telepathy and telekinesis as powers. I can control technology and break even the toughest encryption ever. Plus, I can read someone's mind by just coming into close contact with them, say through the_ Internet_." He grew all smug at this.

"Then why were you pretending to be in my class and say crazy things about..._you know who_...?" I didn't bother to elaborate. He knew very well what I was talking about and it wasn't the least bit funny.

"Because I guessed that was your fear. You were afraid that someone knew about how you felt about..._Kyle_." He became quiet.

"But it obviously wasn't your greatest fear. You didn't awaken, not the way Seraphina did when I taunted her about dolls." I looked at him, with a accusatory look.

"Why did you do that?" I clutched the bedspread in a fistful, unfolding my arms.

"Because I was...stupid." He looked ashamed. His voice was filled with remorse.

"I should have waited. Should have thought better. But I figured it was what I was supposed to do. I was just so excited. To meet someone else like me. Two others like me." He caught my wandering gaze.

"How did you know we were like you?" I asked gently.

"You both had a special sensor in your mind. Only other hybrids can detect each other through the sensor. This sensor also activates when a strong enough emotion is present. When the sensor activates, the body starts to morph into it's true form, shedding it's human disguise. When that happens the blood changes into venom and the abilities we have become fully-developed. Usually the emotions of fear and anger, when combined, are enough to activate the sensor."

"Which is why when I used Seraphina's only weakness, she totally cracked. The weakness is the ultimate fear implanted into the mind of the hybrid. It's something vague and inherently the last thing any normal person would suspect. Such as an intense dislike of dolls. Serpahina hates them but she doesn't know why. It's just hardwired into her. Only an S.D.C. associate or another hybrid could ever access this fear and activate the sensor. _Only they would know just what to say_." I shuddered. I remembered the conversation I had between Seraphina that fateful day.

"Then why wasn't I activated too?" I questioned. The mystery around Seraphina was lightening but it was just darkening even more for me.

"I don't know. I couldn't really read your mind. So I tried Seraphina's and I managed to pick up something about a crush but it was rather vague since even hybrids can guard what's important inside their minds from other hybrids. So I had to question her up-front just to be sure about it. I couldn't even break into your mind, and that was surprising me the most." I sighed. What made me so different from everyone else. _Well, I don't know...everything?_

"So I tried it but you didn't seem _that_ agitated at all. And you definitely didn't react the way Seraphina had. So I knew I'd been wrong. It may have been a fear but only a mild one." He hung his head, not wanting to meet my gaze any second longer.

"So I _can't_ be activated because I have my implanted weakness is unknown since all the records concerning me were destroyed, my mind is unreadable...yet again, and I'm not even suppose to exist? Just great." I sounded way more sarcastic than I'd wanted to be.

"Yep, pretty much." He laughed.

"Are Seraphina's parents...employees too?" I just felt like asking.

"Yeah, they are. My mom's calling them now. They're probably going to come pick her up soon." He got up and closed the open window in the room.

"So...she knew about it already?"

"Yep. Her parents told her when she was six." I felt a slight feeling of deja vu when he mentioned that, remembering the secret I learned about when I was six from my family.

"Umm...question. What did you mean about my uncle Carlisle just now? Something about animals? And how do you even know my uncle?" I threw a mumbled question at him.

"Your uncle's a vampire, right? Well, did your family ever tell you how they learned that they could survive on animal blood instead of human blood? It's not like someone else taught them. They're the only ones of their type in existence, after all, besides our school's office clerk. Your uncle Carlisle was the one who first learned how. And I know him because he used to hang with the Volturi...for awhile. Which makes him sort of an enemy of the S.D.C. too." He choked a bit on that last part. I gulped. I understood _exactly_ what he meant.

"Does that mean that my family is in danger...from the hybrids?" I squeezed the bed even more tightly. He tensed up as well.

"Yes...perhaps. But it's not likely as long as your family stays far away from Volterra and the Volturi." He tried to sound hopeful. I nodded upon hearing that. The last time my family had any contact with them was before I was adopted, nearly 10 years ago. But then I remembered a small titbit of info I'd overheard lately in their secret conversations. _About how the Volturi were planning a check-up on them soon_. I shivered. I hoped that wasn't going to compromise my family's safety.

But that was just some empty speculation they had been talking about. It couldn't possibly come true. Not now, for that matter. I relaxed a bit, having talked myself into some sort of logical explanation.

"Colin, should I ask my parents about..._this_?" I wasn't sure what to do about all the newfound information I'd just received. It was rather mind-boggling. He shook his head.

"It wouldn't be wise. I think your parents don't have any clue about who you really are. And I'm not sure about how you managed to escape the destruction and who actually rescued you. But I suggest that you don't tell them, for now." He tried to smile reassuringly. I guessed that it worked a bit, since I smiled back too. I suddenly felt thirsty.

"Colin, can I have a cup of water? I haven't eaten or drunk anything since breakfast." I mumbled, remembering how I'd skipped lunch to have that doomed conversation with him. He suddenly looked unhappy. With himself.

"Of course! I'm so sorry. Where are my manners?" He said, half to himself actually. He took me by the hand again and we left the bedroom. We walked down a bright corridor which had a dozen open windows, sunlight streaming in from the afternoon sun. Outside the windows, I saw a lush, green garden with a huge array of flowers littered everywhere, decorating the pretty lawn. The sight was so nice that I kept my eyes on it the whole time we walked down the corridor. We reached a winding staircase which led into a sun-splashed kitchen, painted in orange and earthen tones.

I sat down at the wooden dining table and toyed with a massive flower bouquet in the center of the it. Colin poured me a cup of orange juice and started toasting some wholemeal bread. I was about to say that I was allergic but decided not to. I could take it today. I was far too hungry. As I sipped the cup of sweet orange juice gratefully, I realized that now...I had two life-threatening secrets to keep. And neither one could be shared with the other.

* * *

_P.S. - If you are confused about anything or you think I've missed something,message or review and I'll be sure to fix it in the next chapter.Thanx!_


	12. Chapter 11: A Dead & Bitter Child

_A/N:Hey!Sorry for the slow updates.I've just been getting my storyline together and all. So, in this chapter, well...let's just say Elizabeth is going to be jarringly different from her 8-year old self. In other words, she'll be pointlessly bitter in her narrative. Why?Read the chapter and find out for yourself. When the next chapter comes out, we'll see her at her birthday party. Where something goes horribly, horribly wrong. What...exactly? Well, you're just going to have to wait and see. Remember that reviews are important! - _**MissMei92****  
**

**THE TALE OF ELIZABETH CULLEN**

_4 years later._

_It's time for Elizabeth's 12th birthday celebration._

_And she's throwing a party. A pool party._

_But she also found out something incredibly disturbing 2 years earlier. _

_And now it's shattering her relationship with her family.  
_

I looked blankly at the white sheet of paper, littered with words in blue ink, in front of me. Several of the words had been crossed out meticulously with red ink. But the amount left was still forbiddingly scary. Those were the things I still had to do before my party this Saturday. Ughhh! I felt like just canceling the whole thing! But if I did I wouldn't get to see the look on Natasha's face when she found out that she was the only one not coming to my party. Even Rachel had amended her earlier distaste for me and accepted the invitation. But no, Natasha was still adamant against the idea of losing to me or to the 'klutzy brunette' as she called it. Come on! That was first grade, for crying out loud! I had to control my urge to slap her when she said it that way. It was downright mean. And I had zero tolerance for people like _her_.

The ink-splotched piece of chinese white paper would have been crumpled soon enough, by me, if my mom hadn't called me like 5 seconds earlier, demanding that I appease Alice and go party outfit shopping with her, you know, before she went into a scary fit of rage and summoned everyone else to come with us. Which obviously would have made my mom freak, as my mom loathes shopping as much as hunting. I do what I do best. I sigh, I slam the white plastic of my study desk forcefully, and fling my autumn brown cashmere coat on, before opening my bedroom door, making sure the dolphin wind-chime ( but since there's no wind in the house, it's useless.) bangs and makes this whole loud ruckus, and walk out boredly, letting the door shut louder than I wanted it to, but not really caring. I don't care what Carlisle says about being mature and respectful of others.

I trudged down the stairs heavily, not bothering to be careful of the creaking wood, much to Esme's disapproval of me. Well, lately I was just about sick and fed up of my wild existence. Being a vampire-human cum alien hybrid living with a pack of vampires who have no idea that I have the ability to annihilate all of them in less than a second can be unnerving and horribly stomach-churning. _Especially since they're my family_. But then again, they never bothered to tell me what I _really_ was. After all, they _knew_.

I'd known the secret of what I was for 2 years when I found out that they'd actually known all along what I was capable of. I thought they _hadn't_ known. That's why they didn't tell me. _But they had known_. I was just fooling around with some of the old files in Carlisle's office when I'd seen it. A letter addressed to my parents from someone named Tanya. About _me_. _And what I was_. It went like this:

_Dear Edward and Bella,_

_ I'm sorry to have to be the bearer of sad news, but it regards the baby girl that Irina and I handed into your care, 3 years ago. This baby is much more than the innocent child we'd thought her to be. As we told you, we only suspected her to have been the illegitimate child of some high-ranking government official's mistress. However, after some further investigation into the child's background, we found out some rather disturbing information about her. I suggest that you both sit down before I continue._

...the letter then proceeded to talk about everything I'd ever known about myself from what Colin had previously told me until it reached this part...

_This dormant hybrid child was to be destroyed along with all of the rest for an undisclosed reason, but she was somehow rescued from her doomed fate by a_ _rebellious employee who'd been having a personal moral and ethics battle regarding the inhumanity of the project, involving the senseless creation and destruction of life. This employee was female and she had a husband, but when she smuggled the child home and told her husband about the child's full background, he became infuriated and aggressive. He had staunch religious beliefs and thought the child to be a demon sent to place his life in peril, considering the enormous prospect of dangerous risk should the company find out about her existence and place a bounty on her life. Therefore, he tried to strangle the child to death but he failed to kill her because her hybrid self-protection awoke and murdered him instead. _

when I read this, the blood flowing within me had grown ice-cold in a split-second, because it made me realize that the dream I'd had when I was six years old, the evening I found out what my family really was, was a reminiscence of a true event...

_ When the employee found out what had happened, she couldn't bring herself to keep the child any longer. The baby's powers had left her scared and regretful. This employee is the same woman who came to our home and begged us to take her without saying why. The same woman who had a screaming fit and bout of madness when we refused, whence she overturned the tables in our kitchen. We, of course, received the child, being afraid of discovery if she continued her screaming and craziness, before she practically leapt out of there, streaming tears. We think she was fleeing to Canada, to avoid the police, investigating her husband's murder. When both of you appeared at our door, we were still debating what to do, as we couldn't take care of a child at all, which is why we handed the child over to you. But now, I'm wondering if perhaps that wasn't the best course of action to take, regarding this baby. I fervently beg that all of you understand that you must be extremely careful around this child. Her hybrid self-protection could awake at anytime. You may do what you feel is right with her. I am in no position to interfere any longer. But I warn you to make every decision with care. And to make this one point clear: Should the S.D.C. know about her existence, all of your lives will be in perilous danger. Once again, I'm terribly sorry to have inadvertently placed this horrible burden on your shoulders. I beg for your forgiveness, for Irina and myself. We haven't the slightest clue as to how to deal with this dilemma we've created. We don't expect complete forgiveness for our actions but we hope that the ties between the Cullen and Denali clans will remain unbroken.  
_

_ Yours truly,Tanya._

...when I'd finished reading this letter, I'd finally understood what I really was to them. I wasn't anything but a _burden_. If they truly thought of me as their child, _their daughter_. They would have _told_ me. They would have said, "The letter is wrong. You're the best part of our lives. You're our daughter." But they _didn't_. They thought of me as something to be feared. Something which had to be treated carefully. Something highly dangerous and risky. _Something_. Not a _person_. Not a _human being_. A _hybrid_. Because that was what I was. I was nothing more than a hybrid.

I'd denied it at first. I couldn't and wouldn't dare to believe it. Until that day when I'd heard them talk about sending me to boarding school. In Australia. I'd cried for hours on end because I had been rudely forced to realize that it was true. They were afraid of me. That's why my mom had been hysterical the night I'd been told about what they really were. She'd been afraid I'd freak and my self-protection mechanism would kick in. Why else would they want to send me all the way to the other side of the world if not to be as far away as possible from me...?

Even if they did somewhat love me, _like they said they did_ (_ which is something I highly doubt_ ), it doesn't make me anything less than something to be scared of. I'm a true killing machine. That was what I was made for. Even vampires can resist the urge to kill and suck human blood, but there is no way for me to stop, once I've been put into the "right" mode, according to the dreadful letter. It makes me sick to my stomach that one day, when I'm awakened the way that Seraphina was, I'll become a murderer. Oh,wait. I already am one.

A single tear slid down my left cheek and I let it trickle and drop to the floor all on it's own. I flung the front door open angrily, not even wincing as the door crashed violently against the cement of the wall. No one was bothered by my angry behavior, not anymore. They'd gotten used to my open display of bitterness. And it had become much more worse now that both Colin and Seraphina had moved away from Wilde Heights. It wasn't fair. Life wasn't fair. As if it had ever been. It had decided to make me a killing monster from the time I was born and now it had ripped my two best friends from me. One being more than just a friend to me...

More tears slid effortlessly down my cheeks, sticky and wet, but refreshing in the sense that I could feel something, other than anger and bitterness. I could still feel sadness. I hadn't felt happiness since Colin had given me that heart-breaking last kiss, a year ago. We had been inseparable since his first day in 2nd grade and now he was leaving. Leaving me, for good. He wouldn't say where Seraphina and he were moving to but that they'd send a letter when they arrived, to me. I'd given up on letters having any other use than being instruments of the destruction of any last shreds of happiness. As Colin never sent any letter. Even now. My heart was permanently lost in grief. I hadn't accessed it's recesses since the farewell kiss.

The kiss had been more beautiful than the our first one. When we kissed that sad, last time, I'd felt more than just complete. I'd felt more than just euphoria. I'd felt, for the first and last time, what true, non-judgmental love had felt like. That love, which Colin had given me, had slid into all the cracks in my heart, the cracks which had appeared rapidly when I'd read the _letter_. My heart had never felt so healed and perfect. So whole. But the feeling had lasted only as long as his kiss had. When he had to pull away, I didn't want to let go. I wasn't going to let go. But I had to. And now my heart was bleeding through the cracks endlessly, all my love pouring out, leaving an empty, hollow shell of darkness behind.

I gripped the front hood of the Volvo, desperate to keep from fainting. My heart was being ripped up inside me and I couldn't dare let anyone know how that felt. I nearly let out a small shriek of pain as it was shredded mercilessly by the memory. I dropped to the ground and took small, deep breaths. _Don't let it, don't let it, _I silently repeated. I crawled to the side of the Volvo and leaned next to it, whilst I buried the memory back inside the recesses of both my mind and heart. I pulled myself up slowly and dusted myself lightly, as if nothing had just happened. Alice came skipping out momentarily. She didn't look like she'd seen anything, and lately I'd been able to keep my movements quiet enough to go undetected.

"Shall we go, Elizabeth?" She sang cheerfully, unlocking the Volvo's doors.

I merely nodded and slid inside silently. I still had a party to plan and finish organizing. After all, I had to make it look like I wasn't dying on the inside. When I was.


	13. Chapter 12: Kidnapped Runaway

_A/N:Hey!Alright, once again, thank you so much for all your kind reviewing! And my favorites and alerts list is growing too...so, thank you everyone!!! Now, here's the long-awaited chapter. Happy reading & remember to review! - _**MissMei92**

**THE TALE OF ELIZABETH CULLEN**

This was not what I had expected. Not at all. I survey the horrible disaster in front of me. Disaster, right. It was a calamity! And it was _her_ fault! She smiled evilly, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction. My being was suddenly filled with utter rage and disbelief. She actually had the guts to _still_ challenge me. ME. She obviously had no idea of what I was capable of. And neither did I.

* * *

Today was the day. It was my birthday, and I hated it so much. Because it reminded me of what Colin had done for me, on the last birthday that he'd been around for. The presents, the photos, but worst of all, the memories. Enough! 'NO MORE THOUGHTS ABOUT HIM!' I scribbled out in a chicken scratch script onto the nearest piece of paper, all my frustration coming out in a burst. My hand pressed the pen down so hard that it made a thin, feel-able outline in the sheet. I was about to crumple the paper up or shred it or tear it or something when I realized that it was the Science report that was due on Monday. I screamed, loud and ferociously. I had more than enough stress from everything else in my messed-up life. I banged my table, the force shaking the books, stationery and miscellaneous items lying all over it, sending some flying to the floor. I shoved my wooden chair aside and flung open my closet's door. 

I pushed through the mounds of clothing and outfits, flicking away garment after garment, finding each unsuitable. I evaluated several party pieces that had been bought by Alice. They all screamed 'preppy'. Which made me want to vomit blood. I couldn't find anything which said 'me'. The 'me' that Colin had decided to forget. That's it! I've got to make my own outfit. I squeezed out a plain black tee and found my only black miniskirt. It was a family rule that we didn't wear black. Which was absurd. I fished out a sewing kit and an embroidery guidebook. I flipped several pages until I found the design. Yes, the design which would horrify Esme.

I severed the tee's sleeves, leaving them jagged and uneven, on purpose. I stitched the design on effortlessly, the product of, ironically, Esme's training. I grabbed a pure white scarf which would work as a belt. I found the arm fishnets that I'd bought secretly along with a pair of high black stilettos. I showered and put on the outfit. I looked in the mirror. It was a definite hard-core Goth look. It pleased me. I felt comfortable in something which said 'me'. _This is the 'me' that you made, Colin._

I applied black nail polish on my fingers and toes, before using the mascara and foundation I'd stolen from Rosalie. I used a combination of pink glitter eyeshadow and purple eyeliner on my eyes. I wanted to shock as much as surprise. It wasn't hard to walk in heels. I'd been wearing them for 2 years now, ever since my feet grew out of the kiddy sizes they sold in the stores. The mirror reflection I saw was that of a 16 year old rebel teen with issues, not a 12 year old girl celebrating her birthday. And it didn't bother me one bit. Because underneath my cute, girly facade lay a hurt and dying individual.

The backyard porch was fully decorated with banners screaming 'Happy Birthday!' and balloons with annoying smiley faces all over them, plastered on in black ink. The buffet table was fully stocked with food and beverages. The ice-cream cake was chilling inside the fridge. The pool had been cleaned and the water chlorinated yesterday. But as I looked at my reflection in the pool, I saw only sadness. Not the cheeriness of the surroundings. Just the presence of me. The sad, unwanted girl. A tear dropped into the pool. But the mascara didn't run. I'd used waterproof mascara, knowing that would happen sometime tonight.

Someone was approaching. I straightened and turned, fully expecting a reprimand from one of my family members. I didn't get one. Because all I saw was a stranger. A very handsome stranger with messy hazel-brown hair. He looked like he was about 25 years old and he had dark, purple circles under his eyes, the same ones every vampire had. But his eyes...they weren't golden. They were red. Red as blood. I was frozen. This was a human blood-drinking vampire. His dripping red eyes laughed menacingly at me, as a wide smile spread across his face, revealing his teeth. I tensed. His razor-sharp teeth. And then...he'd disappeared.

I let out a shriek of fright. Someone else came running now. It was Jasper. "Elizabeth, are you...w-what...are y-you...w-wearing...?" His worried glance had turned into one of pure shock. My outfit. Of, course.

The vampire face, with blood-dripping fangs, on my tee was painfully clear. I'd sown on the word 'Bloodsuckers' beneath. It was offensive indeed. I flushed and rolled my eyes, desperate to hide my tongue-tied look. A moment earlier I'd have known exactly what to say. Because a moment before I'd only been angry and sad and rebellious. Now...I was...afraid. I looked down and kept my gaze fixated on my nail-polished toes.

He said nothing. I chanced a gaze up at him and I saw that he was still shell-shocked. Great. Wait, didn't he know that there was another vampire...a human blood-sucking vampire...here? He showed no sign of it. He just seemed to be an uncle who was horrified at his niece's choice of dressing. Nothing else. I must have imagined it. I must have. It couldn't be. And then, I giggled. Stupid girl! How could any vampire get into the house without Alice or my dad noticing? Especially the human-sucking type. It was plain impossible! I slapped my forehead, laughingly, which left Jasper bewildered at my reaction, his eyes bulging. Whatever I'd seen just now had to have been imagined. It was just the stress, playing cruel tricks on me. But it had felt real. The fear had been real. But then again, _a lot of things had been real once before_. Now they were shunned memories.

Jasper shook himself out of his shocked expression and tried to keep a straight face. He was trying to be strict. Something impossible for him to do. "Elizabeth. That..." He struggled to find the right words."...is not proper. It's your birthday. Wear something decent. And preferably not black..." He trailed off, his eyes dropping to my 6 inch high stilettos.

"Where did you get those from?" His eyes narrowed at me. I tried to smile and distract him. But it wasn't going to work.

"I bought them. I thought they'd be cool." I smiled an open-mouthed smile, my teeth flashing wide. He threw his hands in the air and sighed.

"Fine, you can keep those on. But, please change your clothes before your guests arrive." He scampered off quickly, obviously to find Alice and complain to her about my fashion choices. I sighed, relaxing a bit, before I realized that I _still_ had to change.

I did change but I was reluctant, of course. I didn't want to change. I liked the way I looked. I changed into a beige mini and pulled on a white long-sleeved, cotton turtleneck. I was pushing aside some of the old cosmetics and jewelry in my closet, looking for an accessory to wear, when I accidentally toppled a black cardboard box. The contents spilled out, and my heart stopped beating. I stared at the things on the floor and felt my heart start bleeding again.

All the photos, the mementos, the cards, the keepsakes. Everything of him. Of Colin. I was scared to touch them. But it was painful to see them too. I shut my eyes and gingerly placed it all back in, until I came to something round and small. I opened my eyes when I saw what it was. It was the necklace, the one that he'd given me. The final birthday gift, from long ago. It was a butterfly, with pink crystal jewels embedded in it's wings. Every girl in school had complimented me on it, and I'd felt so proud to wear it. Until he left. That was when it became a scourge I refused to look upon, much less wear. That was when it'd been locked up in here.

But now, I found it to be the accessory I needed. I shouldn't have worn it. I should have put it back into the box, with everything else. But my heart told me not to. It said, "_Wear it. Wear it and remember him. Remember his love. Let it heal your heart._" I clutched it and just sat there feeling it in my fingers...until I heard the doorbell ring. Time to start the performance.

* * *

The party was progressing well. Everyone was here and enjoying themselves. Kyle had brought his new sound system along and was now blowing tunes and rap on the loudspeakers. Pretending to be a D.J. Classic Kyle. Some of the guys and girls were having a water balloon fight and I thought I saw Rachel and Harvey Ford go off in the direction of the koi pond. I _didn't_ want to know what they were doing _there_. The cake had yet to have been cut. It was still chilling inside the fridge. I slipped my hand to my neck and fingered it nervously. I wished I still had Seraphina to talk with. But she'd left with Colin...my best friend and my boyfriend both gone...at the same time. I'd never called him my boyfriend...but now, I wanted to say that. That he was my boyfriend. 

Danielle Drivers came strolling up to me, humming one of the rap tunes playing. "Hey, Ellie, why the glum face? This is _your_ party. And I thought you and Kyle were an item or something...?" She grinned innocently and I felt like dying once again. I smiled forcefully, trying to get away from her.

Of course, everyone thought that Kyle and I were an item. Everyone obviously forgot about Colin and I because our relationship had been on such a low key that we were thought to be doing it only for popularity's sake. When it had been so much more than that. I'd only feigned interest in Kyle so that I wouldn't seem like some grief-stricken loser whose boyfriend left her and never contacted her once after.

"Danielle, I think Kristen is calling me." I outright lied, as I slipped away from my shadowy corner and strode off to where Kristen Pearson was standing. Kristen was as quiet as a deaf and dumb person was. But she wasn't deaf and dumb, of course. Just shy. She wouldn't talk about Colin. She didn't even know him. She was a transferee from some girl's school in California. And she'd only been a student here for 2 months. It was quite obvious that she was having problems looking any guy in the eye, since she kept her head down every time one approached her. Which was a shame, really. Since Kristen was very pretty, actually.

I decided to snap her out of her 'new-girl'-ness and introduced her to Justin Thompson. He was a talkative type and most girls couldn't stand his kind but I knew that he could probably talk up enough for both of them. So Kristen wouldn't have to say a word. Eventually, she'd talk with Justin on her own. She just needed some encouragement. Thus, I left Justin chatting up about something concerning the difference between donkeys and ponies, while Kristen twisted her hands nervously. It was cute to watch.

"Cake! Time for cake!" I heard my mom call. The cake. The song. The candle-blowing. Calm down, I told myself. Deep breaths. Take deep breaths. Nothing crazy was going to mess up the one moment when everyone's were on me. I hoped. My mom was carrying the pinkish-icing covered confection out and putting it down on the porch dining table. Everyone was milling around her, awe filling their eyes as they saw the elaborate design of an anime character on the cake. I rolled my eyes and walked up to the table too. My mom had sped back into the house, looking for the camera. I hadn't seen the pale, manicured foot sticking out in front of me until it was too late.

I tripped, I stumbled, I fell. I knocked over a loud-speaker. It fell into the pool. It short-circuited the whole house's electricity system. Everything went dark. And then, I realized that in the darkness and confusion, panic and utter hysteria had broken out. Kids were running around bumping into each other, the girls screaming madly, the guys shoving each other, the way any house full of kids partying would react. Do the craziest things possible at the moment. I shot a glance at the pool. It's lights were still on...but the speaker...it looked like there was still some live electricity flowing into the speaker. If any of them fell in...I froze at the thought. It was a good thing the porch dining table was a bit off from the pool.

They were all still behaving hysterically so I gathered some plastic chairs and used them to fence up the side of the pool. It was then that I realized someone was snickering...laughing at the confusion. It was _Natasha_. She had the most sinister look on her face and instantly I knew that she had been the one to unleash this calamity. I swore and then, the lights came back on. Emmett ran outside, attempting to fish the loud-speaker out of the pool, while Jasper was obviously sending calming waves into my classmates since they all seemed to have regained some sort of composure.

Carlisle came out with Esme, and they tried to soothe the panicking ( but obviously, they were just playing around by now...) children. And then, I saw my cake. The anime character's face had been smeared off and the words 'Elizabeth is a ---.' had been written into the cake with someone's finger, ruining the whole top of the cake. I cursed and swore angrily. _It was her! It was all her fault! She couldn't handle being less popular for one single freaking second! She couldn't handle the fact that she wasn't liked by anyone at all and that I was!  
_

And she still dared to smile at me. I screamed at her and the murderous rage coursing through me suddenly became so real. I really wanted her dead. I didn't know what force overpowered me after that. I was on top of her, punching and hitting her hard and furiously, as she screamed her screams. And then, I was pried off of her by someone. It was my dad. He had hurt in his eyes. Like he was disappointed in me. I tried to shake him off but his grip held strong.

Natasha was bleeding all over, and it was staining her crisp, designer clothing. She had already fainted. And suddenly...I felt so horrible and so guilty-filled._ I could have killed her_. _I wanted to kill her..._The tears came. I struggled free from my father's grasp and flung myself into the throng of shocked spectators blocking the entrance to my house. They parted for me. And I just hung my head, the tears were pouring out even more than before. I flew upstairs and into my bedroom, locking the door behind me, secure. I crumpled into a heap on the bed and started sobbing my heart out.

I didn't want to leave my room. I had tried to murder someone. And I could have...if my father hadn't stopped me. _I was a monster. I wasn't human._ I was still crying when I heard the voice. The voice was sweet and musical.

It twinkled as it said, "My, what a mess we have here." I looked up, and into the blood-red eyes from before. The vampire looked down at me with a sick, twisted grin.

"I was going to kidnap you later but seems that now you'll come with me willingly, won't you?" I hid my head beneath my black tresses. I didn't want to show my fear.

"Don't worry, I'm not here to suck your blood. You're not even human now, are you? Why would I think that you tasted any good...?" His voice sounded sickeningly appealing. He tilted my chin upwards. His eyes were still menacing but the look in them suddenly became unreadable.

"You should come with me. I'll bring you to people who won't think of you as a burden. People who will be honest with you. People who can help you. _People who won't abandon you_." The last sentence sent a pang of hurt through me. I felt strange when he said that. Like he'd known exactly how I'd been feeling all along.

"W-Where...will...?" I trailed off, but my gaze had suddenly turned hopeful.

"To Volterra, dear child. To the Volturi." And then, he swept me up and out of the open balcony window. He jumped downwards and landed, softly trampling the flowerbed beneath. He sped off at such an intense speed, carrying me in his arms. The world turned completely white and I was so dizzy from it that I must have passed out.

Because when I woke up, I was on board a private jet plane. I wasn't scared nor frightened. I wasn't worried that my family, my parents would worry. I'd tried to murder someone. A girl the same age as me. _How could I have done that?_ I'd seen the hurt in my father's eyes and I knew it. They didn't want me. They didn't want me to mess up their secret. Their lives. I was a burden. And now, I'd been taken off of their hands. Permanently.

It sounded so final. So forever. I hadn't expected to cry over this. I'd known this all along. Yet, I did. I buried my face in the upholstery and cried. I was still crying when the jet descended down below onto the private tarmac and into a massive hangar. I was still crying when someone picked me up and carried me out of the jet and into a waiting limousine. I was still sobbing when we reached a secluded wall with an entrance and I was pushed down a sliding tunnel into the depths of darkness. I was still sniffling when they walked, almost dragging me, along the dark and shadowy tunnels and passageways.

In actual fact, I hadn't stopped the flow of tears yet even when they reached a grand hall and I was pushed to the very center of it, my head bowed, with my hair falling around my face. I only stopped when I heard a queer voice say, "Welcome, little one. Welcome to Volterra."

I looked up and I saw 3 ghostly pale, white figures dressed in fine black capes and robes sitting, on what looked like thrones, in front of me. One was smiling and he looked slightly scary with that smile on. Another had a bored, bitter look on and was staring directly at me, but as though I was invisible, and it seemed that he was looking right into me and seeing nothing at all. The last one had hair the color of snow in winter and he was regarding me dubiously.

I was at a loss for words but I realized suddenly who _they_ were and _just_ _exactly_ where I was. I was in Volterra and now I was facing the Volturi: Aro, Marcus and Caius.


	14. Chapter 13: Comatose

_A/N:First off, I'd like to apologize for the really,really short chapter. But I actually wrote a slightly longer one which got erased accidentally. But anyway, this chapter is just going to focus on what she was dreaming while she was in a coma. Yes, a coma. How and why she's in a coma will be revealed later. Okay...happy reading and reviewing! - _**MissMei92**

**THE TALE OF ELIZABETH CULLEN**

_You can sleep...sleep and forget everything...sleep until you're ready...ready to fulfill your true purpose._

They'd said that I could sleep. Sleep and forget everything.

_Just step into the chamber. Step inside and you can sleep forever._

I had done that. I wasn't afraid. It seemed like I should just sleep forever.

_Nobody wants a would-be murderer around them. This is your fate. Accept that._

The necklace was still around my neck. And as the machine took it's effects, and my eyes started to close, I held it in my fingers.

_Sleep is coming now. Just relax. You'll be safe...safe...safe.  
_

* * *

My eyes fluttered open. I was in a beautiful garden, a garden with flowers blooming everywhere. A garden which seemed so familiar. The garden which was behind Colin's home in Wilde Heights. The birds were singing. The sun was shining and I saw _him_. Standing clear beneath the sunlight. His skin was luminescent and shining, as dazzling as ever. He hadn't changed one bit. He still looked stunningly beautiful. And I felt so...so...peaceful. His gaze was fixated on the ground but then, he looked up and saw me. His eyes were still the color of gold. His eyes were sad and lost, but when he saw me, his eyes became hopeful. 

"Elizabeth..." I heard him say softly. I couldn't contain myself anymore.

"Colin!" I squealed, as I ran towards him. The tears of joy which had been forming in my eyes poured out.

"Elizabeth..." I hugged him as he said it.

"Colin, oh...Colin." I buried my face in his shoulder. He laid his head on mine.

"Elizabeth, please. Forgive me. I shouldn't have left you. And now..." He sounded despairing.

"Colin, don't. Please don't. I don't care about the past. We're together now. That's all that matters." I whispered.

We stayed in each other's embrace for a long time. The sun shined down on us, it's rays of light beaming endlessly. The birds kept up their cheerful chirping. I felt so whole, and my heart was healed. I wanted to stay like that. Forever.

Colin shifted. He pulled away, and I looked up at him. He had a torn look on his face. "Elizabeth, you can't stay with me. You don't belong here."

My hope crumbled away. It was happening again. "Why? Why, Colin? Why?" My voice was quivering.

He sighed sadly. "Because...you still have a duty. You're the only hope. The only one." His answer was so cryptic.

"What? What hope?" I asked him, pleadingly.

"You can do it. I believe in you..." His voice faded away, and suddenly he'd vanished.

"No...Colin!" I screamed desperately.

Some invisible force was pulling me away from the garden. I resisted but it still won.

* * *

I saw my mother. She was standing in my old bedroom. Packing my things away. Her expression was so sad and mournful. She stopped and stared into space every now and then, and then, she suddenly collapsed to the floor, shaking violently.

My father ran inside. He held my mother in his embrace, and I could see that he was sad too. They stayed that way until the vision faded into oblivion.

And then, a bright light flooded my surroundings and I heard someone say: "She's waking up."


	15. Chapter 14: Meaningless Existence

_A/N:Hello, people!Thanks for reviewing and sorry for the slow update. I have to take breaks from writing so that my inspiration doesn't get worn out. And here's chapter 14! With a bit of a cliffhanger at the end, and I think you can all guess how Nikolas really feels. That was a hint to the next chapter. So, happy reading! Oh, and reviews are nice too! - _**MissMei92****  
**

**THE TALE OF ELIZABETH CULLEN**

Red. Red. Red. All I saw was red. Blood red. Staring straight into the depths of my soul. Not a frightening red. A longing red. And then, the red disappeared and I was staring into a bright, glaring whiteness. A white light. "She's fine." I heard a gruff male voice say. The light vanished and I instinctively rose from my lying position. A searing pain shot through my head. I winced and rubbed my head. "Take her to the room, Nikolas." The gruff voice commanded. I stood up from the bed I'd been on. I nearly fell. My legs were wobbly and I couldn't stabilize myself. The one called Nikolas reached for me and caught me before I could fall. I felt chilled at his touch. It was as cold as a...vampire's. And then, all the memories flew into my mind, swirling up into a whirlwind of color, as understanding dawned on me.

I was here in Volterra, Italy. I'd met the Volturi...and I'd _willingly_ put myself into a comatose state. I gazed up at Nikolas and I realized he was looking at me, a mixture of desire and sadness, in those blood red eyes of his. I recognized Nikolas, although I'd forgotten what it was that he'd done, I felt familiarity in his grasp. Oh, yes. _He_ was the vampire who brought me here. Nikolas gently supported me, as I found my balance, and led me into another room, holding my hand in his cold grip. It was so cold...yet it still felt comforting. I hadn't felt anything in a long time.

The room I was in now, decorated modernly, with a flat-screen plasma television and a surround-sound system, felt warmer than the room before, where a chilling coldness had been piercing the air. Nikolas set me down on the bed in this room and momentarily disappeared, coming back soon enough with some clothes. He handed them to me and only then did I look at myself and realize I was just wearing a thin, plain dress. The kind that hospital patients wore. And then, I saw something else. Well, I had...grown, so to speak. _Wait. I had grown?_

Nikolas simply said, "Please change." But in a voice which sounded so harmonious and sweet, that it caught me by total surprise. I glanced up at him and saw that he'd turned around and left the room. I was alone. I dashed to a full-length mirror, hanging on the wall. I gasped. I _had_ grown. In other words, I wasn't 12 years old anymore. _I look like I'm 18!_ My hair had grown longer, the dark waves in my hair having turned into pretty curls, which were dropping to my waist. The blue in my eyes had vanished. My eyes were golden. Golden? But...only _vampires_ had such eyes. I had sprung up like a tree. I was as tall as my mother now. And apparently, I now had well-defined curves. Right. I surveyed my appearance and something whispered inside my head, creating a haunting echo. _You look like a vampire. Isn't that what you always wanted? To look like your parents...? _I froze.

My parents. How long had I been asleep? If I was 18...I was sleeping...for _6 years._ 6 years. That was a very, very long time. I sat back down on the bed and stared at the blank TV screen nearby. I'd lost 6 whole years of my life. _And for what? So I could break my parents' hearts like in my vision and lose my old life completely?_ I would've have cried but for some reason, I couldn't. And then I remembered why. Vampires couldn't cry. I fingered the white blouse and skirt on the bed. The embroidery on them was pretty. It was a zig-zag pattern, created using silver and light blue sequins, on the hem of the skirt and the neckline of the blouse, which was V-shaped.

I heaved a depressed sigh and did what Nikolas had asked of me. I deftly changed, and quicker than usual too. Vampire speed. I looked so different now. I actually looked adequately pretty. I found a brush and combed out the tangles in my hair. I then braided my Rapunzel-like hair and tossed it over my left shoulder lightly. I looked chic. Something I'd never been able to do before. There was a light knock on the door and a harmonious voice asked, "Are you finished?"

"Yes, I'm done." I said back, loudly enough for the voice to hear. My voice sounded so mature now, the childlike traces of squeakiness gone.

The door opened and Nikolas entered. A look of awe and surprise, mixed with that weird sense of longing, filled his eyes. He looked speechless. I giggled nervously. "You look..._nice_." He said, although I obviously knew he wanted to say something else. Like, maybe _beautiful_. But that was inappropriate to the situation.

"We have a meeting with _them_." He said softly, his gaze never flickering from me. I nodded but his gaze was flattering, I suppose. Nobody except..._him_...had ever paid me that much attention before. He walked out the door and I followed, trailing behind him like a puppy did.

We walked down the same winding corridors until we reached a...reception desk? The lady sitting behind the counter was a vampire too, her eyes possessing the same blood red as Nikolas did. She didn't look up and her demeanor and appearance reminded me of Susan. But of course, she wasn't Susan. She pointed at the heavy, wide-set oak doors behind her and simply gave a slight nod. Nikolas beckoned to me and we walked towards the doors...which seemingly opened simultaneously for us to enter.

The chamber we entered was the same room which held the thrones upon which the Volturi sat. It'd been in here that I'd agreed to Aro's suggestion. Of being put into a coma. He'd been so persuasive...like he'd known what I was feeling and thinking. Like he knew everything I'd ever been through in my life. From the moment he'd taken my hand and shaken it.

Aro immediately stood up and swept over, his black robes flowing, to greet us, his expression benevolent. Marcus still had the same vague blankness plastered onto his face, devoid of expression as usual. Caius shook his head in disapproval at Aro's action. It seemed that Caius never really was fond of all of that Aro did, including his offer to let me sleep. He'd been noticeably unhappy when I'd said yes and I remembered him mumble something about "not knowing the risks" which had led Aro to actually glare, long and hard at him then.

Now, Aro came over to us, waving Nikolas aside, who swiftly stepped away and into a corner, assuming the pose of a bodyguard. I was left alone in the middle of the room, with Aro uttering loads of remarks which I couldn't quite catch because he was saying them as quickly as they popped into his head, but which seemed to imply that he was no doubt, pleased with me.

"The transformation went perfectly well! I'm amazed that they managed to get it right this time. Elizabeth, you look stunning!" He rambled on. A question came into my mind.

"How long was I asleep?" I had to know exactly how long it'd been. Aro's smile didn't waver.

"2 years, dear girl. The chamber accelerated your physical growth and transformed you!" He answered gleefully. I stared at him, my eyes possibly glazing over. It'd only been 2 years, and yet I resembled an adult now.

"The process was amazing! I was surprised at how effectively it worked for you, considering...the _other_ attempts." His voice dropped off, and I grew suspicious in my look.

"What _other_ attempts?" I pressed, curiously. Caius answered now.

"The _other_ attempts to transform the _other_ hybrids we found...such as..." Caius didn't finish the sentence and instead looked pointedly at Aro.

Aro sighed and his smile suddenly became fake. A chill ran through me. This was bad. Bad. "Elizabeth, you must understand that we didn't mean for it to happen. We still don't understand how it happened." His voice was sympathetic and pitiful. I stared at him in shock.

"What do you mean?" I demanded, my voice rising slightly. _What was he talking about...no, babbling about now?_

He gestured to Nikolas, who took my hand and led me after Aro, who had walked off in the direction of another door. He entered and we followed. Marcus and Caius sat still on their thrones, bored.

A blast of chillingly cold air hit me, and I shivered slightly. The room felt like a freezer. Which to my horror, I discovered...was _exactly_ what it was...only it wasn't a freezer meant for food. _It was meant for bodies_. I started quivering as I saw a limp figure lying on a white capsule-like bed. The figure was perfectly still..._as if he were dead_. Denial flooded through me and the shaking grew worse...because it was _COLIN_. It was Colin, lying on the capsule bed, looking as if he were dead. I shook my head in defiance. _He couldn't be. He just couldn't! _

Nikolas squeezed my hand a little tighter and I knew he already understood what I was feeling. Aro stopped and shook his head, sad and resignedly. "It wasn't suppose to be like this. He should have woken up." His voice was hard. But it gave me hope.

"Is he...?" I couldn't finish the question, and Nikolas pulled me closer to him. Aro didn't look up, but he answered quietly: "No. He's still alive. But barely." I dropped to my knees, buckling from the wave of relief which enveloped me. There was still hope. Still a chance.

"Why didn't he wake up?" My voice was emotionless, and it rang in my ears like a bell. Aro glanced over at me and seemed to shrug with his eyes.

"We don't know." It was final and sincere. Colin just hadn't woken. He was in a comatose state..._forever_.

_Why did he do it? Why did he agree to it? Why did he leave me? Why wouldn't he wake up? So I could just hug him and stay in his embrace forever like in the dream? Why?_

I was pulled me to my feet and Aro swooshed out of the room, Nikolas guiding me, sadly. He had probably known all along about what had happened to Colin. That was why he was sad whenever he saw me. We came back to the throne room, where two more female vampires, both insanely beautiful with burgundy red eyes, were now standing in as well. They appraised me with some slight disdain but other than that, they seemed to hold respect for me. Which was surprising. But it was not something I could think about now.

Aro sat down on his throne and I was, once again, before them. Then, Marcus spoke. He was toneless in his speech but what he was saying was enough to capture my attention.

"Elizabeth Cullen, you have been enlisted into the service of the Volturi, willingly or unwillingly, you will do as we say." His voice was scary and commanding, not the type you would disobey.

"You are of the hybrid gene 905. Therefore, only you can defeat the hybrid army which is coming to attack us. Your kind was destroyed long ago for the very reason we need you. Your kind had an accidental built-in sense of betrayal in it. Your kind would have been the perfect hybrid, had you not been predicted to one day, revolt and turn against their creators. For that reason, all of your kind but you was destroyed. It is by pure fate that you were spared, and now you must fulfill your duty. You must fulfill your purpose." His voice was booming and the speech was continuous, not giving me time to think.

And before I could comprehend the meaning of what he'd said, I fainted and dropped to the cold, stone floor.


	16. Chapter 15: Cryptic Riddle

_A/N:Hey, thanks for those reviews and here's the next chapter! Okay, I'm just going to say that for this chapter, Elizabeth has some sort of short-term memory loss, because she fainted the day before. So, she'll be less focused on thinking about Marcus's speech. More like she won't think about it at all, lol. Happy reading! And yes, I want reviews in return. - _**MissMei92****  
**

**THE TALE OF ELIZABETH CULLEN**

_Elizabeth, don't do this...Elizabeth...Elizabeth...Elizabeth!_

I jerked upright, my heart pounding until it hurt in my chest. I was breathing very heavily and I shivered from the cold sweat running down my back. I was inside the bedroom from before, on the bed. Someone had thoughtfully tucked me in beneath the covers. It'd been _him_. He'd told me not to do it. But I didn't know what _it_ was. _Oh, Colin_. I fell back against the bed and dropped back into a dreamless sleep, his voice echoing in my head.

* * *

I stretched and yawned. It was...wait, _what time is it?_ I looked around for a clock, since the room had no windows, so I couldn't see if it was day or night, right now. No clock either. But the room was bright. The white fluorescent lights hanging above were a stinging bright. 

"It's 9 a.m.," I heard a harmonious voice say absently. I whipped my head around in the direction of the voice, whose owner I could have recognized from miles away. Nikolas was sitting on the powdery white sofa in the corner, facing the blank, lifeless television screen. I didn't say anything. I couldn't think of anything good.

"Boy, you sure do move a lot when you sleep, don't you? How do you get any rest like that?" His voice was joking. It made me laugh. He turned around and glanced at me. His now-burgundy eyes twinkled. I however, gulped. That color meant he'd just fed. I tried not to show my discomfort at the thought and tried to be bubbly.

"Oh, I manage somehow." I said laughingly. I threw the cottony quilt off and stood up. I'd never felt so exhilarated as I went to sit by him on the sofa. I'd always felt to be older than I looked and now my mental and physical ages were on the same key. I could act like the adult I truly was. My new-found beauty had sort of boosted my confidence and emboldened me. He seemed surprised by my action, obviously thinking I was still 12 on the inside.

"Did you stay up all night, just watching me?" I asked him, keeping eye contact with those burgundy eyes of his. He nodded.

"Yes, I did. You know the drill. Vampires can't sleep." He said in a low voice.

"Then, why can I sleep but I can't cry?" I asked, not really wanting the answer. I half-knew why anyhow.

"You're only half-a-vampire re-mem-ber?" He replied, splitting the word on purpose. I smiled.

"Yes, I remember. Oh, and do I have any other clothes which can fit me around here? Or do I have to go shopping?"

"Yeah, you do." He picked himself up and walked over to the birch wood closet nearby. He tapped it lightly.

"It's all in here." He sat back down on the sofa, and I thought he looked like he was thinking about something very hard.

"Oh," I blinked, "...just one more question, are you my babysitter?" I tried to keep a straight face. It was strange how prone to laughter I was with him around.

He laughed, of course. "You could say that, I suppose. I'm more like the guy who makes sure that you don't end up slitting your wrists. Not like it could kill you anyway." He meant it as a joke, but somehow I felt a slight twinge of pain shoot up me when he said it.

He didn't notice and I didn't want him too. "Do I get breakfast then? I mean, I know I'm the only one here who probably needs to eat _food_." I giggled lightly.

"Oh, yeah. Right. Breakfast. Hold on a second," He dashed out of the room and when he didn't come back after a total of 5 seconds which I counted), I locked the door and changed into the first items of clothing that I saw. A light blue lace miniskirt and a blue cardigan.

I then browsed through the rest of the clothes until Nikolas came back, knocking twice on my door. I answered and he said that 'yes, breakfast was ready, but...we had to go out to get it.' I laughed again.

Nikolas took me along a different side corridor and we emerged into another reception room where there was an elevator. The receptionist surprised me, by being very much human. She smiled at me and I smiled back, but I couldn't help wondering how a human could work amongst _human_ blood-sucking vampires like that. She seemed quite old, in my opinion. Her auburn hair had started to whiten.

We went _up_ the elevator and were soon transported to a basement level area, where a waiting Mercedes-Benz had been parked. I sat in the front seat, beside Nikolas. We drove out of the basement and to my surprise or rather disappointment, the sun wasn't shining outside._ Nikolas can't go out into the sun_. We drove along the cobblestone road until we reached an asphalt paved one, but not before I managed to get a look at the city of Volterra. It was so...old-fashioned. The streets were exactly the kind of thing you'd think of when you thought of Italy. Brick-covered buildings, houses with laundry hanging out the windows in the back alleys, everything concrete towering over you like you were surrounded by fortress walls.

Nikolas was silent while he drove. I didn't want to bother him either. But a certain feeling crept inside of me. A happy feeling. But I shouldn't be happy. I shouldn't. _How can you be happy while Colin is in a half-dead state? _I gulped and swallowed the lump in my throat, closing my eyes, while becoming a frozen statue in the seat.

Nikolas noticed my stiffness. "Elizabeth, are you alright?" He said, and I noticed his accent suddenly sounded very much like..._Colin's_. I was going crazy. _You're hallucinating, Elle. Stop being such a freak._

"Elizabeth, please say something." Now this was ridiculous. Because the way he'd just said that phrase was exactly how Colin sounded whenever I'd pretended to be mad with him. I opened my eyes and threw him a wary look. My heart nearly dropped into my knees.

His eyes weren't red nor burgundy any longer. They were honey gold. I blinked and rubbed my eyes. "Nikolas?" I prodded, unsure, like a kid whose parent was having a fit at them.

"Elizabeth, I'm sorry. I had to. I didn't want to hurt you...but it was for the best." My heart dropped to my feet. It wasn't Nikolas speaking any longer. It was Colin. My dear, sweet Colin.

"Colin?!" I yelped, my heart lunging up back into my chest at vampire speed. _Was it really him? Was it really my Colin?_

"Elizabeth, you must do as they say. But be wary of the blood." The possessed Nikolas spoke to me, with the intonation that only Colin could give. It was so cryptic. Just like the dream. Just like everything else.

"Colin. Why do you always do this? Why must you speak in riddles?" I whispered sadly, feeling like sobbing but being unable to. The emotion was horrible because I couldn't let it go.

Nikolas turned towards me, and those golden eyes which were not his looked at me, anguish filling them. "Because...I can't."

The honey faded slowly, as I, sobbed without any tears for him not to leave me, not again. The burgundy remained.

Nikolas stared at me and my pained look, the expression on his face was confused. "Why are you..." He searched for the word, "..._sad_?" He settled for a word which could only border at the mildness of how I was feeling at that moment.

I just shook my head and turned away from him. I couldn't bear to see those eyes which had held Colin's in them a moment before. My heart thumped and did jumps from the bottom of my diaphragm to the top of my throat. I felt so uneasy. I closed my eyes and dozed off.

When I woke up, the car had stopped and was parked by the roadside. But there weren't any cafes nearby. Or any buildings for that matter. All I saw was countryside. Green, flowering meadows with tall, pine tree forests encircling them. _What were we doing here?_

Nikolas wasn't inside the car anymore. I unbuckled my seatbelt and stepped out of the car, my foot stamping down on some wet grass. The sun was shining more around here and Nikolas was kneeling nearby on a red-white checkered cotton blanket, spread out with a food basket, beneath the shade of a huge oak tree. A picnic. For breakfast, well, more like brunch now.

"Elizabeth, come here and listen!" Nikolas waved at me and I saw he was trying to get a radio connection on his...I didn't know what _that_ was. Must be something new they developed _while_ I was asleep for 2 years. I sighed playfully and strode over, careful to avoid the muddy areas. I plopped down beside him, pretending to be annoyed.

"Nikolas, what are..." I didn't get to finish my sentence. Because at that very moment, another Mercedes passed by on the highway nearby, a black one, and I saw, through the tinted windows, ..._my parents_.


	17. Chapter 16: Stubborn Denial

_A/N:I'm so sorry!!!! Please forgive me for making you wait an eternity for this chapter!!!_ _I was just really busy with real life and reading, and I could never really find the mood to write. And I've neglected my online life! Sorry about this, but sometimes I just go into this phase when I lose interest in doing anything. Usually it's temporary but it's quite important that I don't do anything rash like quit my piano lessons because I get frustrated too easily with my lousy piano skills or anything which I'll regret later when I snap out of it. Oh, and sorry for rambling on like a freak about my mental problem when all you want to do is read the chapter. Apologies all around to everybody! Oh, and I hope this chapter isn't muddled or confusing or anything like that. There's a clue in here which I hope clears up the confusion some people had about Colin. Pray that I update soon and don't get depressed again. Enjoy the story! - _**MissMei92**

**THE TALE OF ELIZABETH CULLEN**

_"Mommy, when did you know that you were in love with Daddy?"_

_"I'm not sure, sweetie. We just knew,"_

_"Will I know too?When I fall in love?"_

_"Yes, sweetie. I think you will."  
_

* * *

I stared at the cold, ceramic tiles of the floor, my body wracked with unshed tears, having no way of unleashing my emotions upon the world. It must be handy. Being a vampire. No running mascara because you couldn't cry. No icky, sticky tears and runny noses. No feelings. I bit my lip, furious. And then I did it. I screamed. A piercing, grieving scream which no one would answer. 

No one to answer. Nobody cared. Nobody understood. Nobody wanted to. Nobody. _You're as unwanted as ever, Elizabeth_. You're a tool. _Once you vanquish that army of hybrids heading here, you're useless. _And FREE Nobody's going to keep you locked up in this dank, windowless room anymore. You can leave. _And do what? I'd rather...die._

I collapsed to the chilling floor of the bathroom and buried my face in my arms, pretending to cry when it was impossible. I didn't know why _he_ cared so much. Wasn't I just an object? _A duty. A burden. Burden. Always a burden. Meant to be destroyed. Never meant to exist. Not natural. A thing. Something created for a corrupted purpose._ It was too much. I willed myself to do it. I couldn't take it anymore.

* * *

**FLASHBACK**

_"She's our daughter! What did you do with her?! Give her back!!!"_

_"Bella, we have no idea..."_

_"YOU KNOW WHAT WE MEAN! What have you done to Elizabeth?! Why did you take her away?!"_

_"Edward, surely you can't..._

_"Give her back!!!! Give my baby back to me!!!"_

_"YOU CAN'T DO THIS! She's just a child!" _

_"There are no _children_ here. Only vampires."_

_"Elizabeth!!!!! Sweetie, it's mommy!!!! I'm here!!!!"_

**I wanted to run to her. And cry. And beg for forgiveness. For being so selfish. For running away. For making them worry. **

**But...I couldn't. It was too late. I was no longer their child. The child who had grown up with their loving family.**

**I was what I truly was. A monster. **

**I fled from the side corridor of the throne room, as my mother cried out heart-wrenching pleas for me to come. I covered my ears. But I couldn't block it out. I didn't want to forget my family. But I was without any other option.**

**It was better for them, this way. I wouldn't ever burden them again. **

**But somehow...deep down...a voice whispered, **_"You were never a burden at all, misguided child."  
_

* * *

Falling, falling down into the recesses of eternity. I was dying. I was committing suicide. By willing myself to die. I couldn't face anything. It was just _too_ much. Darkness, time, moons and suns. All of it thrashed and swirled around me. But I wasn't afraid. Dying felt so much more peaceful than living. Something soft and warm gripped my hand in it's. It felt familiar. 

"Elizabeth Cullen. What have you gotten yourself into now?" I knew that voice! And I had thought I would never hear it ever again in my pitiful, pathetic existence._  
_

"Seraphina." It was her. My best friend. My truest, most loyal and unforgettable best friend. The friend I'd feared was dead and gone with..._Colin_.

"Elizabeth, really. I thought you wouldn't need me to look out for you anymore." She pretended to chide me in a mock-scolding voice. But she was all smiles. She was still pretty, though she was older now too. We'd all grown up, and in such a short time.

"Where are we?" I finally had the sense to take in my surroundings. We were in...no, on...a beach. A white-sand, deep ocean blue beach. The sky was cloudy and greying, looking as if it wanted to rain but still holding enough hope that it would clear up instead, unveiling the sunlight.

"In limbo. I've come back to make sure that you don't give up so easily. It's not like you, Elizabeth. Giving up! That's preposterous!" She joked, letting go of my hand and flopping onto the sandy surface beneath. She was so care-free. Not the serious, studious girl who'd sat next to me on my first day of grade school.

"Elizabeth, don't lose hope. It's not as if everything is lost, is it now?" Her eyes twinkled, and she smiled that same devilish grin at me. The one she used when she knew about my crushes. I was baffled.

"Seraphina? What are you smiling about?" I shook my head and dropped to my knees, my hands scooping the flawless sand which seeped out between my fingers. She gave me a _Girl, are you that clueless?_ look and took my sandy hands in hers.

"Elizabeth, I know that you still love Colin, so very much. But Colin is..._gone_. He can't come back to life. It's too late for him. Right now, his spirit is connected to Nikolas. That is why he hasn't left yet. He still has someone tangible to hold on to. But he has to leave soon. And when he does you need to know that you must move on!" She raised her voice at the last bit and my stomach lurched. I couldn't do that. It was too hard. _Too hard_.

Seraphina gave me a disapproving look, one which said that she knew what I was thinking. "Oh, dear Elizabeth. We want you to be happy. That is why you must let Colin come to where I reside. In a place...where there is no sadness. Only happiness and rejoicing. A place where love is abundant and where everyone is reunited together for an eternity to come." Her eyes misted and she clutched my hands tighter in hers. 

"But it's also a place for those whose time is up. You still have time, Elizabeth. You can still do something, in the world. But...for Colin and I...we are no longer bound there. We belong in the place of eternity. One day, you'll be there. With us. But only when your time is truly up. And that is why you must not spend it, deep in mourning for us. For we are happy and at peace, Elizabeth, we're happy! You should be too." Her eyes welled with clear tears and she hugged me tightly. One last embrace, I knew. It would be a long, long time before we would be together again.

"But...why did Colin stay then? Why didn't he go with you?" I asked her, and to my joyful astonishment, I realized that I was crying too. Those wet, slimy tears had never felt more comforting.

"He just wanted to tell you. Tell you that it was okay. Okay." She whispered, before adding, "...he's coming now. I'll let you both talk one last time. Goodbye, Elizabeth. I'll see you in eternity, girl." Her voice faded away gently, a slight giggle following. One which I would remember forever until I saw her again. And then Colin was holding me, his embrace stunningly warm and human for once.

"Elizabeth," He brushed his lips towards mine and we shared a kiss. A kiss unlike any other we'd ever shared. It was warm, passionate and loving all at the same time. It held his unspoken words. _I love you._

_I love you too, Colin. Forever. Don't leave me._

_I have to...but we'll be together one day. The future still holds hope, Elizabeth._

_But I can't live without you there. To talk with me, to hold me, to love me._

_Elizabeth. I will miss you, as much as I missed you these past years. But I don't want you to be lonely. I want you to be loved. And Nikolas can do that. _

_Nikolas?_

_He cares about you. I've seen his heart and his mind. He's fallen in love with you. And you deny the fact that you have too._

_No...I love only you!_

_Elizabeth, a heart is not limited to loving only one soul. It can love many, but in different forms. _

_What do you mean?_

_I will always be your true love, and you will always be mine. But you also feel love towards him, although it is not as deep as ours, it's still love. And I need you to know...that I'm okay with it. I'm okay with letting you go. You should be too._

_I...I...I...understand. _

_Elizabeth, don't be afraid. And don't believe the lies. You are valuable. In fact, you are priceless. And everyone loves you so much. Your parents have never stopped loving you. They have never thought of you as anything but their daughter. It's been told you countless times. Yet, you deny it, stubborn Elizabeth._

_I...do. Don't I? Oh, Colin. I love you so much. You're right. About everything. _

The kiss ended here, and Colin whispered his goodbyes, as he walked off into the distance, a beckoning, distant light being his aim. I watched his figure become a speck of black on the horizon before he disappeared altogether. And I closed my eyes and let myself float back into the swirling hourglass of eternity once again.

* * *

My eyes fluttered open. I was back in this world. And my spirit had been renewed. I was free. Free from the hurt and rejection. And the feeling was light upon me. I was still crouched upon the floor so I straightened and washed up. I found my bed and slept. Just slept. For the first time in 6 long years, my dreams were empty and I could rest.

* * *

_Sweet beauty sleeps tonight..._

_Dreamless and peaceful..._

_She holds love within..._

_The fortress of her broken heart._

I heard a song being sung. It was such a soothing melody, so hauntingly enchanting. My heart beat faster when I realized it was Nikolas singing. To me. How sweet of him. And then I remembered why he was singing. He was in love with me. And I was in love with him too.

"Nikolas," I sang out, my voice sweet and girlish-like. He stopped singing. His eyes met mine, and I saw that he was surprised by my cheeriness. I surprised him even more.

I slid to his side of the bouncy bed and without any hesitation whatsoever, gave him a kiss he wouldn't forget. Of course, my boldness was surprising to him. But he didn't pull away. And neither did I. And then, when we'd finally decided to breathe, I replied his unspoken question.

"I love you, Nikolas. I won't deny it any longer."

* * *


	18. Chapter 17: Forget About Me

_A/N:Hey, I'm seriously mega-sorry for this short chapter and for my lack of updating but I'm really busy right now and I'm in more of a reading than writing mood right now. And I just celebrated my 15th birthday, and had a party and everything. So I was really busy planning last week. And I apologize for this short chapter and I know you all are gonna really wanna know what happened in Volterra but I'll explain that later. This chapter was supposed to be longer but then the computer did it's stupid crashing thing and I lost half of the chapter. And right now I'm really pissed that I lost that half because it was a really nice half too! I promise to update with the next chapter which has the juicy half in it soon, so please bear with me till then. Again, really sorry. - _**MissMei92**_  
_

**THE TALE OF ELIZABETH CULLEN**

Wind whipped through my hair as I ran as fast as I had ever run in my life._ Elizabeth, go! Forget about me!_ Forget about you? I couldn't do that. But I did. I'd run away from it. I'd run away from my destiny. And I'd left him. The same way Colin had left me. I kept running until I couldn't even make out what was in front of me any longer. My eyes blurred and my head spun from the speed. It shouldn't have bothered me but I wasn't used to running at the pace of a vampire. And before I knew it, the world had gone dark, all traces of light extinguished.

* * *

I awoke to daylight and I finally realized how far I'd actually run from Volterra. I was miles from the city by now...miles away from Nikolas. The trees were thick and green, the ground a dry, solid brown. Overhead, I could hear birds cooing and calling each other among the greenery. The sun shone through the canopy of leaves and branches, illuminating my crystal skin. I looked at my bare arms shine brilliantly and let out a small shriek of frustration and anger. It reminded me of why I couldn't be normal. Of why I'd had to leave him. 

My stomach twisted and I felt sick suddenly. Like I was going to vomit. I closed my eyes and tried to make the horrible headache I'd just noticed disappear, along with the feeling of nausea. It wouldn't leave. I fell to my knees and threw up into some nearby bushes. I felt slightly better but I still had a horrible headache.

I lay on the ground and thought back to my childhood, desperate for a distraction. _The mansion in France, moving to New York, meeting Seraphina and Kyle, the day I met Colin, the day they left, the party, Nikolas. Nikolas. _When I heard his name whispered in my mind, my headache left and a feeling of floating overcame me.

But then, it was replaced with the guilt which had been brimming up inside my heart. A sharp, painful pang flew through my heart and I screamed. It wasn't the pain. It was the vision I saw. _Nikolas was lying on the floor, not moving. One of the hybrids approached. And then...NO!!!!!! _I couldn't see it but I knew what was going to happen. I screamed and screamed his name, horrified with fear. The cooing birds stopped singing, and flew away. My screams echoed back to me...and there was nothing. No sounds. It was dead silent.

"No, not again. Not again!!!!!" I sobbed, all my sorrow emptying through my hoarse voice. A chilly wind blew and rustled the leaves all around me, making them beat together with a scrunching sound. The sunlight dissipated until my skin returned to normal. The clouds had turned an ugly black. I had to keep going. _I_ _had to leave him...behind.  
_


	19. Chapter 18: Purposeless

_A/N:Rejoice people! My inspiration has returned! Here's the next chapter which I hope will make you all very happy! I hope to post the next one tomorrow if I get enough time. But I will write, I promise you. And as a little hint, let me just say that things are about to get very...interesting. Okay, that's enough of me for now. Read and review! Bye! - _**MissMei92**

**THE TALE OF ELIZABETH CULLEN**

My legs ached and my arms chafed from the friction of running against the wind at inhuman speed. But I didn't care. I kept going, thinking of what I was headed for. I didn't know what it was that I was running towards. All I knew was this: _Run, Elizabeth! Run!_

_He _told me to run. I obeyed. I wasn't going to stop running. Not until he said so. I blinked against the fogging images around me. Green, swirling spheres of nothingness. They weren't supposed to have been there. They shouldn't have been able to break through the Volturi guard. Not with Alex at the lead. It wasn't possible. But it had happened. And I couldn't do anything to prevent it. I'd failed my duty. My purpose. My destiny.

Something black and metallic sped by, although it moved at a snail's pace compared to my movement. I'd be nothing more than a moving speck of color to the occupants in it. A ghost of something long gone by the time they realized anything had even been there._ It smiled a sickly, twisted grin at us. It prepared silently for the kill, crouching in a low stance, it's eyes sharp as that of a predator. Nikolas went stiff and cold. Cold as stone. Hard as steel. He spread out protectively, trying to protect _**me**. _And then, it lunged. I screamed._

Drop,drop,drop. Wetness trickled down my stony cheeks. Drop,drop,drop,drop,drop. Splotches of rain droplets decorated my blouse and jeans. Drop,drop,drop,drop,drop,drop,drop,drop. The greyness below me turned blacker. The ground became a muddier, brownish shade. Mud flew up everywhere on to my sneakers and the bottom of my jeans. I ran with even more intensity than ever. I couldn't stop now. Not because of some stupid rain.

_He blocked the lunge swiftly. It let out a bone-chilling shriek and started clawing at him, tearing his sleeve and...slicing his arm clean open. I could see the white venom flow out in slow drops. "Nikolas!" The thing was ghoulish. It was invincible. Nikolas couldn't hold it off. I had to use the power they said I had...but it _**wouldn't **_work. _**It wouldn't work! **_"Nikolas!!!" The thing started to turn it's attention towards me. Nikolas gripped it's collar and flung it away with as much strength as he could muster. It didn't even falter a second longer before it lunged for me again. He blocked it. But the impact was gruesome. I could see he was losing the fight. "Elizabeth, run! Forget about me! Just run! Run away!" Forget about you? Never! But his eyes commanded me too. 'Please, Elizabeth...' that was what I say in those golden eyes I loved so much. I had to obey..._

A white, piercing flash of luminous light opened up into the sky. Everything went still for one sudden moment. And then, I heard it a loud, thundering crash of thunderbolts, both deafening and shocking at the same time.I froze into position. Then, I was flying. Into the humid, torrential rain pouring down in masses around me, blinding everything from sight. I flew and then I fell with a sickening thump to the hard, yet muddy, surface of the roadside. My body became still and I lost all feeling in my bones, my nerves, my mind. I was completely paralyzed. And I didn't care.

But my sense of hearing still functioned, as my other senses failed me entirely. I head soft murmurs, voices, a bell tolling in the distance, the screeching ring of a familiar ambulance. "What happened?" "I don't know, she just appeared out of nowhere. I didn't see her until it was too late." "Is she dead?" "No, just unconscious." "Someone call 911!!!!" They continued on forever until I felt myself bundled up into something soft and warm, like the hugs my mother would give me when I was little, and then the voices ceased. And all that could be heard was the soft rumble of an engine, and the ever familiar screeching of an ambulance in the distance.


	20. Chapter 19: Tell Me

_A/N: Okay, you're all gonna hate me after you read this chapter. I just know it. But it fit the storyline logically enough! So, please don't be sad or anything. And I've decided to write the story in small installments for now, so I can get out more chapters in a shorter amount of time. And yes, I know I've just finished posting chapter 18 before this. - _**MissMei92****  
**

**THE TALE OF ELIZABETH CULLEN**

The first thing I thought when my eyes opened was: Chlorine. I smelled chlorine...or rather something which smelled a lot like it. It got stronger as my senses returned slowly to their vampire sharpness. Wait, something was different. Sure, I smelled everything but I couldn't_ hear_ everything. I couldn't hear any low voices whispering or the vague sounds of movement two miles away, which normally I could. I tried and tried but it was no use! I couldn't hear anything beyond sounds within a few feet's radius of me. What was wrong with me? Why couldn't I hear the way I normally could?

My thoughts were far too jumbled and I didn't remember why I had been asleep. My eyes finally dispensed with their foggy, hazy view and became clear once again. I was in a room. A room filled with white and hospital green. A nurse was standing nearby the bed, hastily filling in a clipboard, not noticing I'd regained consciousness. Nearby I could see a wide, clear window. It displayed the image of New York in the evening sunset. My eyes grew wide. That was New York being bathed in the evening sunset. I was home. But how?

My mind was assaulted with a massive brain freeze. Too many questions, no answers. "Mom," was all I could say before I collapsed back into the bed, a faint sound of a monitor blasting loudly next to my bed annoyed me momentarily before I slipped back into unconsciousness once again.

* * *

"Elle, oh my gosh. Elle, please wake up. Your parents..." A sad, sweet voice whispered in a despairing tone. My eye popped open slightly. I could just barely make out the figure of a familiar ex-weather forecaster, who was never wrong, sitting beside me.

"Susan?" My voice cracked from dehydration.

"Oh, thank God. Elle, you're alive." Susan's honey-golden eyes filled with intense relief and at the same time, sorrow. I didn't know why.

"Susan...what's wrong?" I asked her tiredly. I felt like I had a million heavy weights pulling me back down into the flattened bed.

"Oh, Elle. It's...it's...so...so...I can't bear to say it!" She would have burst straight into tears had she not been a vampire. She gripped the sleeves of my hospital gown and bent her head downwards, shoulders slumping defeatedly.

"Auntie Susan. Please, tell me." I begged her silently. What had made her so distraught with anguish?

"Elle, your parents...they're...dead." That was all I heard. Because her voice was instantly drowned out in my screams.


	21. Chapter 20: Cruel Twist Of Fate

_A/N: This is just a small summary of what happened leading up to the previous chapter. I'll start writing in _ _Elizabeth__'s point of view again in the next chapter. Hope this isn't too depressing for some of you. - _**MissMei92******

**THE TALE OF ELIZABETH CULLEN**

_Elizabeth__ was in shock for several days after. The memorial service for her parents and for uncle Carlisle was held as soon as she had recovered enough from the pure, blatant shock to be able to stand without collapsing. Susan had to support her throughout the whole memorial. She did not give a eulogy for her parents herself but wrote one out and had Rosalie read it, through her own tears. _

_The full story of what had truly happened was explained in detail to her when she had finally become emotionally stable enough to handle it. The day the hybrids had attacked the Volturi was also the day that her parents had decided to come back and argue with Aro, Marcus and Caius over her supposed whereabouts. They'd been accompanied by _ _Carlisle__ because he'd hoped to be able to talk some proper sense into his former companions. It had all been a cruel twist of fate. The meeting had just begun when the hybrid army attacked in full force and murdered all of the Volturi, including Edward, Bella and _ _Carlisle_

_Only a few lucky ones survived. Those on the outskirts of Volterra and those who'd been on a hunting trip in _ _Switzerland__. The revenge of the mastermind had been completed but it had taken with it in the bloodshed the lives of _ _Elizabeth__'s parents and uncle...and the life of Nikolas too._

_As for how _ _Elizabeth__ was found and brought back to _ _New York__, when she'd been brought to the nearest hospital which was in a town situated near the border of _ _France__ and _ _Italy_ _Elizabeth__'s running had brought her across half of the country in such a short period of time. While she was in the hospital, word about her spread among the townsfolk. Alice and Jasper had been staying in this particular town at the time, while waiting for the return of Carlisle, which would never happen. They heard about the mysterious girl and were curious to find out that she seemed to look just like _ _Elizabeth__, only older. _

_They visited her in the hospital and were shocked to find out that it really was her. They made the necessary arrangements to have her discharged from the hospital and called _ _Carlisle__. When there was no answer, they went down to Volterra themselves. Only to find the burning underground ruins of what was once the splendid Volturi chambers. There were no vampires in sight. Everything had been destroyed. Annihilated. They knew it was true when they saw Bella's handbag lying torn and beaten up on the floor, along with some shards of her sweater and _ _Carlisle__'s handphone. Proof that they were...dead._

_They brought _ _Elizabeth__ back home to _ _New York__, but while she had yet to regain consciousness, they themselves had already gone into a zombie-like state. Esme had gone into a shell-shock state and retreated into her mind. Emmett and Rosalie went through the motions of life, but they were dead on the inside too. _ _Elizabeth__ only woke up a week later and that was when Susan had delivered the gruesome, painful news. _

_Now, it's been 2 months since these horrifying events took place._

_And something completely unexpected is about to happen, something which can hopefully bring life back to the Cullen family._


	22. Chapter 21: Redeemed

_A/N: Alright everyone, this chapter is probably going to be super-confusing if you don't read between the lines...so, I suggest you try because you're not going to get any answers from me...sorry if I sound cranky but it's really late here and I'm sleepy... -_**MissMei92  
**

**THE TALE OF ELIZABETH CULLEN**

"No...no...Mom!!!!!" I woke up screaming in a cold sweat. Tears were filling my once incapable-of-crying eyes. My whole family. My last reason to live. They'd died. All of them. I'd run. I'd left them behind, when I thought I'd only been leaving behind the love of my life...I'd left behind my parents as well?! It was insane. And I was murdering myself over and over again on the inside with the pain and guilt. I could have saved my mom, my dad...Nikolas. I could have saved Uncle Carlisle. Then, they'd all be here. Everything would be fine. Everything would be normal. Perfect. Like it'd been before. Like it'd been when I was a child. And now, it was too late. Too late to be sorry. Too late to turn around and come back. Too late to to help. I was a useless thing which should have died along with the rest of my kind. I was supposed to bring hope and to save them. I failed everyone. I failed my destiny. I murdered the people I loved and left them to their horrific fate.

Too much. TOO MUCH. "I can't take it anymore!!!Why did I live?! Why didn't I die with them?!Why was I such a coward?! Why?! Why?! Why!?" The words taunted me until I felt like my head would explode from the intenseness of the pain I was feeling.

I'd done this. I'd broken up this perfect family which had loved me and raised me as their own. And what did I do?! I murdered my parents!!! I couldn't live. I wasn't living. This wasn't living. This was death embodied in a body. I was no longer a vampire, that was what I knew. I was human again. And now, I could just as easily take my life and receive the punishment I was sentenced to. I found a bottle of sleeping pills. I opened it and was about to swallow the whole thing...when I suddenly doubled over as if I'd been kicked in the stomach. Only it had come from the inside of me. I tried to get up but I was suddenly gasping for breath. The bottle had slipped from my grasp and broken into shards of glass and pink miniature tablets were strewn all over the carpet.

I forced my hand to reach for one but the pain in my stomach was overwhelming me. I started to feel queasy and faint. Was I dying already? Perhaps. The pain seared and my stomach felt like it was being ripped open. I started screaming from the pain. They heard my screams. They were in the room quicker than lightning could have been.

I lurched and suddenly vomited. I didn't know what happened next but I was suddenly lying in a hospital cot once again, my arm hooked up to an IV drip and a heart monitor. They were all watching me with their lost golden honey eyes, searching me for an answer I couldn't give to them. The pain in my stomach was fleeting and it was like being stabbed constantly over and over again. I kept vomiting a sticky liquid.

The doctors were baffled. They didn't know what was going on with me. I knew what they were thinking though. They were thinking that I might die. That I might just slip into cardiac arrest and die just like that. I could see it in their eyes, their apprehension. And I didn't bother. I deserved it. The Cullens stayed at the hospital all the time, their eyes staring blankly into space. They had nothing else to do.

Sometimes the pain in my stomach would intensify and I would be writhing and screaming in pain. Other times it wasn't even there. It continued on like this for a month.

One morning however, I woke up to the surprised eyes of the doctor on duty, who was making his rounds. He had a stethoscope to my stomach and he looked shocked beyond belief, like he'd never done this before in his life. He looked at me, his eyes blinking once with disbelief.

"What's wrong with me?" I demanded angrily, having lost any use for politeness and etiquette.

"Miss...it appears...that...you...might...be...pregnant." He choked on all the words. He couldn't believe it himself. He mumbled something about doing a lab test and practically ran away.

What gibberish was he talking about?! I couldn't possibly be pregnant. I'd never been with anyone. _What is this guy doing?!_ I'd muttered underneath my breath.

But then, the lab results came back...and they came back with the most astonishing news I'd ever heard in my life. The test was positive. I was pregnant. I'd nearly had a heart attack. Everyone did. They kept on pestering the doctor to double-check and redo the tests...but each time it came back positive. I was speechless.

I didn't know how this was possible. I'd been a half-vampire up until...and I'd never been with anybody in my life. Not Colin, not Nikolas. Nobody. It was a miracle, this baby was a miracle.

According to the results, the baby was already 3 months old. Something which confused, baffled and sent the whole medical community into turmoil. Because when I'd been admitted a month ago, nothing had shown up on the lab results. NOTHING. The whole thing was unnatural and it was frightening me.

What was more frightening than that though was that the hospital had decided to cover up the whole case. All my medical files were discarded and we were paid, bribed actually, into silence about the whole matter. It was as though some higher authority with enough power had intervened in the whole matter.

I was discharged a week later and spent the rest of my pregnancy in the confines of our estate in Wilde Heights. Throughout that whole time, I'd never stopped wondering how this could have happened. How I could have become pregnant, how I had become human again, how my life had turned into a never-ending struggle in a constantly spun web.

But then..._he_ was born. And I instantly understood it. I understood everything perfectly. I understood why...I understood at last. My child, my _son_. He was the hope. The hope for all the vampires in this world who'd ever dreamed of being human again. It'd never been my destiny to protect the Volturi. That had been a lie. A lie to distract me from my true purpose. My true destiny lay in the beating heart of my newborn son.

I watched him as his perfect, little eyes blinked open and he took in his first glimpse of the world. But I made sure he saw his family first. I made sure he saw Esme, his grandmother. I made sure he saw his grand uncles, Jasper and Emmett, and his grand aunties, Alice and Rosalie. I made sure he saw the people who'd love him as much as they had loved his mother.

The day Colin had checked my wrist for my code, he'd made a mistake when he read the code. The code had been damaged, you see. One number had been altered. I was not the one who could beat the hybrid army. The only ones who could have done that had been destroyed long, long ago. No, I was the secret. The only one of my kind. I had been created by mixing more of the alien genes into my DNA, making me a supernatural being in some ways.

I'd been created by the mastermind of the whole operation as the carrier of hope for the rest of the world. My son could save vampires from being damned to their existence. My son could make them _human_ again. And he looked so much like both Colin and Nikolas too. He was perfect. He was my little angel. The moment he entered this world, it was as though I'd been filled with instant knowledge. I finally knew why. I'd had my questions answered at last. All of them.

* * *

I'd told them what I knew and their eyes flickered with hope. Something which might have been lost to them forever in their eternal existence. And my baby boy had given it back to them.

I let Esme hold him first but for some reason, she declined and told me to let Rosalie hold him instead. So, I did. I noticed that aunt Rosalie was quivering slightly as she did. It was then that I saw the most wondrous and astounding thing happen. The yellow shade of ochre in her eyes began to fade and slowly bloomed into the luminous color of a summer blue sky. Her skin was still fair as day but it had become soft and warm once again. She was human. And I knew that she had just had her deepest wish and desire fulfilled. Because she was beaming like sunshine was still bouncing of her in rays yet I knew it wasn't because she was a vampire. It was because she was literally bursting with joy.

One by one, I watched as they each took their turns to hold him. One by one they too underwent the transformation. Esme, Alice, Jasper, Emmett. They were all human again, and for the first time in more than a hundred years, they all shed tears. Tears of immense, pure joy. They were crying because they could cry again. They were crying because they could be human and show it.

We christened my son with the name, Nicholas Edward Cullen. He would be the shining beacon of hope. The symbol of all our old memories and of all the new memories to come. He would be our redeemer. Sent to save the world from the threat of vampires and to save those doomed to the existence of a vampire. And as we gave him his name, as we stood in the garden of our home, I made a silent vow within. I promised to help him fulfill his destiny, with all of my being.

**THE END**

* * *

_A/N:_ _Surprise! It's the end of this story! I don't know what came over me when I wrote this chapter but I tell you I was writing harder than I'd ever written in my life. Anyways, not to worry, I'll be starting a new story soon but not a sequel. Look out for more on my profile! Bye! - _**MissMei92**


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